How to Prevent Breast Cancer Before & After: A Guide to Taking Back Control of Your Life

Physician Smith (What You Must Know About Thyroid Disorders) delivers straight talk about breast cancer in this accessible resource. She details the early warning signs and describes various diagnostic tests, including MRIs, ultrasounds, mammograms, and PET scans, then differentiates the types of breast cancer, both invasive (including ductal carcinoma, which accounts for 70%–80% of all breast cancer cases) and noninvasive. Among the conventional treatments covered are surgery, radiation, endocrine therapy, T-cell therapy, and theragnostics. Explaining how to address their potential side effects, Smith notes that taking omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce common chemotherapy side effects such as bone density loss and weight gain, while vitamin D may help with the joint pain and fatigue that can accompany letrozole treatment. Elsewhere, she describes “unchangeable” risk factors for breast cancer, such as early menstruation, not having children, late menopause, and family history; suggests preventative measures for “controllable” risks including cutting back on alcohol consumption, avoiding cigarettes, getting regular exercise, and paying attention to air quality; and offers an especially user-friendly explanation of what dense breasts are and how they can impede a breast cancer diagnosis. It adds up to an informative and practical guide to all stages of the disease. (July)