World Health Day 2025: Essential Steps To Reduce Your Risk Of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer: A very common disease among women, although breast cancer is not limited to one gender, globally, around 670,000 women died in 2022, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

As per reports, women over the age of 50 are more prone to breast cancer, where cancerous cells grow in the tissue of the breast, milk ducts, or milk glands, eventually forming a tumor

Also read: Tahira Kashyap's Breast Cancer Relapsed After 7 Years: How To Detect Early Recurrent Signs

Today, April 7, as we observe World Health Day 2025, which emphasizes women and babies under the theme 'Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,' there's no better time to vocally discuss something that's affecting many women across the globe.

Causes of breast cancer

As per the National Health Service (NHS), having certain breast conditions such as “benign breast disease, ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ” increases the risk of mammary cancer, apart from heredity - an individual who has a family history of breast and ovarian cancer.

Did you know that higher levels of “hormones oestrogen, progesterone or testosterone” can also increase your risk of breast cancer. 

Essential steps to reduce the risk of cancer

Mayo Clinic highlights that the following habits can increase your risk of breast cancer:

• Overuse of alcohol or spirits
• Obesity
• Avoiding breastfeeding your children
• Overuse of hormone therapy after menopause
• Frequent smoking

If you think you're at a higher risk of breast cancer, the NHS claims calls for medical intervention or mastectomy, which is surgery to remove your breasts.