It’s hard to stay active when you have breast cancer. Fatigue, distress, and nausea are just a few of the reasons why cancer patients give up exercise, has been shown to reduce chronic pain, boost energy, and even help reduce some medication-associated side effects. If you’re having trouble staying active, consider yoga. It’s a gentle exercise that can accommodate people of every age and condition. Pace and intensity can be adjusted to fit your physical needs, and studies have shown that cancer patients who practice yoga benefit in multiple ways.

When patients are diagnosed with breast cancer or other breast conditions, they may not always understand the terms used. There are several different kinds of breast cancer in addition to various other health conditions affecting the breasts. To better understand their breast health and to inform health care decisions, women should familiarize themselves with the anatomy of the breast and some breast-related health care terms.

In true Hollywood fashion, when a celebrity speaks the masses listen.

That’s precisely what happened when Angelina Jolie penned an editorial in The New York Times that shined the spotlight on breast cancer and genetics, specifically genes that can cause the disease.

Numerous advancements in breast cancer therapies and interventions have helped to improve outcomes and quality-of-life for countless women. Over the past seven years, growing understanding of breast cancer biology has helped to continue this trend. The introduction of genomic testing tools, such as the Breast Cancer Index, now allow us to predict long-term prognoses for breast cancer patients better than ever before.

Over the next several decades, the incidence of breast cancer is expected to rise. We will also witness shifting patterns regarding the types of breast cancer diagnosed and ages of women diagnosed. As these changes occur, it is critical for breast cancer treatment teams to consider each case individually.

There are steps all women can take to reduce their chances of developing breast cancer.

It is not possible to completely eliminate your chances for developing breast cancer, but there are steps you can take to reduce risk. Some risk factors, like age and genetics, cannot be changed. However, certain lifestyle choices can help you to prevent breast cancer and there are steps you can take to minimize risk associated with factors you have no control over.

Genetics and family health history play an intricate, if not yet fully understood, role in breast cancer risk.

Do you have a family history of breast cancer? Research has shown women with a family history of breast cancer have a higher risk for diagnosis than women with no family history of breast cancer.