Maybe it's human nature but we tend to remember bad things rather than good things. We might remember the person who never repaid a debt but forget all those who gave us money when we needed it. Or, we might remember a harsh word that someone said thoughtlessly while forgetting the countless healing words which he or she shared with us in the past.

My experience is no different in medicine. I remember the tragedies. I remember the times I had to deliver bad news. I remember the sadness and despair of the patients.

October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the leading cancer among women in Jamaica and the leading cause of cancer death. In the US, a woman has a one in eight lifetime risk of developing this cancer and it is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American women.

I remember when I was living the US, I had to tell a woman that she had this diagnosis. It was almost 10 years ago but I remember that she came into my office because she had felt a lump in her breast. I confirmed the lump with my examination. It was small, maybe it would be benign (non-cancerous), I hoped. However after the evaluation was complete, her worst fears were realised. It was cancer and she was only 39 years old. Fortunately, it was caught early and her prognosis was good.

Reduce your risk

While it is not always possible to prevent breast cancer, a woman can reduce her risk of this disease.

Women who drink alcohol have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer and this risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed regardless of the type of alcohol. Therefore, for those women who drink alcohol, reducing the amount could decrease their risk.

Women who are overweight and obese have a higher risk of breast cancer after the menopause compared to normal weight women. The more weight a woman gains after age 18 also raises her risk. Conversely, women who lose weight after the menopause lower their risk of breast cancer. Therefore, if you are able to fit into clothes that you wore at your high school graduation, you have already lowered your risk. However, even if you have passed the menopause, it is not too late. You can still loose weight and lower your risk.

Exercise reduces a woman's risk of breast cancer and although this may be true for heavier women who exercise, normal weight women who exercise have an even greater reduction in their risk.

But some women will still get breast cancer. Fortunately, regular mammograms significantly reduce a woman's risk of dying from breast cancer especially if she is between the ages of 50 and 69. This benefit has also been shown (although to a lesser extent) in women aged 40 to 49.

Therefore, do your very best to prevent breast cancer and then make sure you do your screening.

Dr Monique Rainford is a consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.