The good lifestyle (physical exercise, a healthy diet including enough vegetables and fruits, stopping smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, etc.) and maintaining a healthy weight help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, including cancer of the breast. breast. For more details on these measures, see our Cancer file.

See also the suggestions of nutritionist Hélène Baribeau in the Tailor-made diet: Cancer.

Of course, the fight against cancer does not only require individual actions but also collective actions : reduce the presence of chemicals in household products, reduce the use of chemical pesticides, develop cities to promote physical activity, etc.

• In light of the results of various studies, the Canadian Cancer Society has recommended that Canadians, since 2007, take a supplement of 25 µg (1 IU) per day of vitamin D in autumn and winter⁹. The body suggests people at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency – which includes elderly, people whose pigmentation of the skin is dark and people who rarely expose themselves to sun – do the same throughout the year. According to some studies, such vitamin D intake reduces the risk of prostate cancer, breast cancer and colorectal cancer. For more information, see our Vitamin D sheet;
• In people at very high risk of breast cancer (such as carriers of a BRCA gene mutation) and only in these, some pharmaceuticals are sometimes given for prevention. For example, tamoxifen. To be discussed with the doctor.

These measures aim to detect the cancer as early as possible in order to stop its progression and, if possible, to cure it.

Observation of any anomaly. Watch for any changes to the breast: lump, discharge, nipple retraction, pain, etc. To do this, feel and watch your breasts regularly.

Clinical breast examination by a healthcare professional. It can help detect a mass not seen by the woman or not visible on the mammogram. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that this test be performed at least every 2 years, from the age of 40.

Mammography. Health Canada recommends mammography screening at least every 2 years for patients women aged 50 to 69³. Outside of this age group, the need for screening varies from woman to woman, depending on her personal risk factors. It is best to discuss this with your doctor. The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care advises against mammography in women aged 40 to 49 who are not at risk, given the lack of benefits and possible harms (radiation exposure, biopsies unnecessary)⁸.

Breast ultrasound. Doctors sometimes suggest this test in addition to a mammogram, for example in women with very dense breasts or when the mammogram was inconclusive. Ultrasound can also be performed as the first line in women under 40 who are at very high risk of breast cancer, due to genetic predispositions. This examination does not expose to any radiation. Current devices offer 2,5 times better resolution than 15 years ago²³.

D’other tests are sometimes offered, as the case may be. Among the tests being studied is elastography, an imaging technique that uses ultrasound.

Notes. The thermography is not a recognized breast cancer screening measure in Canada. (See the box below.)