According to information compiled by Sisters Network, Inc, a non-profit organization committed to educating African-American women about breast cancer,
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African American women. An estimated 27,060 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among African American women in 2013. Among younger women (under age 45), however, the mortality rate of breast cancer is higher in African Americans than in whites.
The organization also recommends preventative measures such as weight management, minimizing alcohol consumption and partaking in regular exercise.
Research recently released by the Boston University School of Public Health, reveals just how important regular exercise can be.
Regular exercise, including brisk walking, is associated with a decrease in the incidence of breast cancer in African American women. In a recently published study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, researchers from Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center found strong evidence linking physical exercise to a lower rate of breast cancer in African American women, a group in which previous evidence has been lacking.
In a large prospective study of the health of black women, the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS), researchers collected information about exercise habits, such as time spent exercising per week and type of exercise. They followed more than 44,000 African American women over a span of 16 years and observed whether they developed breast cancer.
They found that women who exercised vigorously for seven or more hours each week were 25 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, compared to those who exercised less than one hour each week. Examples of vigorous activity include basketball, swimming, running and aerobics. The results were similar if women walked briskly, but there was no benefit for walking at normal pace. The results did not differ by the estrogen receptor status of the breast cancer
Clearly, due to several factors, weight management and exercise are vital to preventing breast cancer. To start on your health journey, check over here, we recommend consulting with a physician, but also checking out Black Girls Run and A Black Girl’s Guide To Weight Loss.
