April 24, 2018 | Lauren Woods - Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine

Conquering a Healthier You After Breast Cancer

Find out the top ways you can reduce your chance of developing breast cancer or prevent a recurrence of the disease. UConn Health's Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center and its "A Brand New You" program are guiding breast cancer survivors on eating well, exercising, and managing stress.

Infographic by the American Institute for Cancer Research highlights the top 10 cancer prevention recommendations (Image courtesy of the AICR).

To prevent cancer, "We must return to basics and follow a daily prescription of a healthy diet and exercise," says UConn Health's Dr. Susan Tannenbaum. (Infographic courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research)

There are more than 3 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., with more than 1 in 8 women forecasted to face the disease during their lifetime.

But how can a woman aim to reduce her risk of developing breast cancer or prevent a recurrence of the disease?

According to Dr. Susan Tannenbaum, chief of oncology at UConn Health’s Carole and Ray Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center good nutrition, diet, and exercise are the key ingredients to conquering a healthier you for preventing the disease before or after breast cancer treatment.

“If you can lower your risk factors for breast cancer, which are mostly the same ones for preventing cardiovascular disease, it’s huge for your chances of cancer prevention,” said Tannenbaum.

She stresses: “We must return to basics and follow a daily prescription of a healthy diet and exercise to prevent cancer.”

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research the top 10 ways to prevent cancer are:

1. Maintain a healthy weight by being as lean as possible.
2. Move more and for at least 30 minutes every day.
3. Eat well and avoid sugary drinks.
4. Enjoy a plant-based diet of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
5. Reduce red meat and avoid processed meats.
6. Cut down on alcohol, and if any at all women should limit their intake to one drink a day.
7. Eat less salt and sodium processed foods.
8. If you can, breastfeed your baby for up to six months.
9. For cancer prevention, don’t use supplements.
10. After treatment cancer survivors should follow cancer prevention recommendations.

Additionally, Tannenbaum recommends:

  • Don’t smoke or chew tobacco.
  • Check in with your primary care physician regularly and perform self-breast exams monthly.
  • Live a healthy lifestyle, remember everything in moderation.
  • Avoid excess sun exposure.
  • Get enough sleep, but not too much.
  • Only take vitamin supplements, like vitamin D or calcium, if you have a confirmed deficiency.
  • Make sure you are not on medications that you can actually avoid taking simply through enhanced diet and exercise.

“There is a lot of evidence which demonstrates the benefits of both plant-based foods and exercise to prevent cancer, and to prevent recurrence in survivors,” said Kerry Coughlin, a registered dietitian at UConn Health’s Neag Comprehensive Cancer Center who is board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition. UConn Health’s oncology nutritionists work closely with patients and caregivers to give advice about nutritional needs before, during, and after cancer therapy.