Breast cancer risk factors and prevention strategies

Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women, with approximately 70,000 diagnoses occurring annually in Germany. Research published in ‘The Lancet Oncology’ by the University of Washington identifies several lifestyle factors that contribute to the loss of healthy life years due to the disease.

High consumption of red meat was found to have the largest impact at 11 percent, followed by smoking (including passive smoke) at 8 percent, high blood sugar levels at 6 percent, and a high Body Mass Index (BMI) at 4 percent. Alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity each accounted for 2 percent. Collectively, these six factors are responsible for more than a quarter of the healthy life years lost to breast cancer.

To aid in early detection, medical experts recommend that women aged 20 and older perform monthly self-examinations to identify lumps or changes. Clinical guidelines suggest annual examinations by a gynecologist starting at age 30, while health insurance providers in Germany typically cover mammography screenings every two years for women between the ages of 50 and 75.