In the ongoing quest to find the root causes of breast cancer, some experts believe that the time has come to turn the focus on reducing a person’s risks and ultimately lower the incidence of the disease. Along this line of thinking, researchers believe that certain lifestyle changes, which include a healthier diet and more exercise, could reduce the number of breast cancer cases by as much as one third.

The latest findings may add to current breast cancer debate. On the one hand, breast cancer treatment has made significant progress through the development of better therapies, more effective diagnosis, and early screening through the use of mammograms. Now, some doctors believe that more effort should be made on developing preventative measures, thereby shifting the emphasis on behavior adjustments that include eating less and more physical activity.

The latest opinions come from a branch of the World Health Organization that estimates that anywhere from 25 to 30% of breast cancer cases could be avoided altogether if, plainly put, patients were thinner and more active. These conclusions are in line with the current health recommendations that promote such lifestyle changes as smoking cessation and decreased sun exposure as ways to reduce the risk for certain cancers.

Part of the controversy stems from the belief that heredity may play a more important role in the onset of cancer, rather than lifestyle choices. Some experts contend, however, that for cancer rates to change within a person’s lifetime, lifestyle and environment might be more of a factor than genes.

Furthermore, with the knowledge that certain chemicals are known to increase the incidence of tumors, it seems like common sense that continually exposing oneself to them would not bode well for one’s long term health prospects, even if genes were more of a factor. A good example of this would be smoking cigarettes.

The relationship between obesity and breast cancer is based on the fact that fat cells produce the hormone estrogen. In addition to its many functions, which include initiating secondary sexual characteristics in women and preparing the uterus for pregnancy, estrogen also induces cell growth and development in the breast tissue. Increased levels of estrogen, perhaps as a result of more fat tissue, are therefore believed to increase the chance for tumor development. Obesity is in fact a known risk factor for breast cancer. Studies have suggested that even women who are not overweight can decrease their risks by reducing their body fat.

Over the course of her lifetime, a woman stands about a 1 in 8 chance of contracting breast cancer. Second only to lung cancer, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women, and in the United States, there were more than 190,000 new cases and 40,000 deaths. Certain risk factors can be reduced through lifestyle modifications, including alcohol consumption, taking birth control pills, having children late in life, and being overweight. It has been suggested that obesity raises this risk by as much as 60%.

If you have questions or concerns about breast cancer, speak with your doctor. For more information, visit the websites for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society.