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You cannot actually prevent the development of breast cancer, but you might be able to catch it at a very early stage, if you are checking your breasts consistently. Self-examination is essential in noticing a potential lump. Furthermore, you can get free breast screening for breast cancer through your health insurance, which gives a detailed analysis of the breast and has detected as many as 252,710 cases per a year.
Examining your breast
The best way of controlling whether you have a lump or not, is to get to know how your breasts normally feel through self-examination. In the beginning you will need to check you breasts often, to see how they change over the course of time. It is normal for a breast to change structure e.g. right before and during a period. These changes are normal and should not cause any worries. But the important thing is to know your breast well enough to tell the regular changes from a potential cancerous lump. Over the course of time you will only need to check your breasts once a month, but you can do it more often if it makes you feel more comfortable.
In general, your health insurance offers a free breast screening program for all women between 50-70 years of age, which is the most common age range in which to get breast cancer. You can get a free mammogram every 1 to 2 years if you're over age 40. During 2004-2006, a total of 147,430 late-stage breast cancer cases (rate: 108.5 cases per 100,000 women) were diagnosed in women aged ≥50 years in the United States.
Source: National Cancer Institute
Last updated: 9/8/19
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