Abstract

Breast cancer is the commonest cancer of urban Indian women and the second commonest in the rural women. Age incidence rates in India suggest that the disease peaks at a younger age (eg, 40-50 years) than in Western countries. Owing to the lack of awareness of this disease and in absence of a breast cancer screening program, the majority of breast cancers are diagnosed at a relatively advanced stage. That lifestyle changes can change the risk of developing breast cancer is supported by several lines of evidence. The rates of breast cancer vary widely by the geographic areas around the world and only a small part of these differences is due to genetics. Over a period of time within-country changes in breast cancer incidence has been seen to be paralleled by lifestyle and behavior changes. The risk of breast cancer may be lowered to the extent that one can make lifestyle changes consistent with modifiable risk factors. In addition, healthy lifestyle choices such as limiting alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy body weight, high dietary soy intake and engaging in regular physical activity may help lower one’s risk. 

Keywords

breast cancer, risk, life style, countries, rising, cancer, awareness, deaths, ethnic, cultural, women, developed, breast, cancers, lack, awareness, diagnosed, economic, religious, diversity, advanced, relatively, numerous, regions, heterogeneous, multidisciplinary, diagnosis, screening, population, proportion, females, treatment, common, standardized, disproportionately, countries