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Experts say the payoffs are substantial. By Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., American Institute for Cancer Research New research is adding more insight into the link between walking and other forms of physical activity and lower risk of breast cancer. A landmark report on diet, activity and the prevention of cancer from the American Institute for Cancer Research noted that increased physical activity probably lowers risk of postmenopausal breast cancer and potentially risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer as well. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions regarding cancer and physical activity: Is it too late to make a difference after years of sedentary living? Research suggests that it’s never too late to start making changes to reduce your cancer risk. In one recent Japanese study, the most active women had less than half the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer than the least active women. Study participants were 40 to 69 years old at the start of the study. In another r...

By Melba Newsome, Women's Health Women's Health Jen Singer Occupation: Mother of two Nome: Kinnelon, N.J. Type of cancer: B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma Age diagnosed: 40 Jen Singer wasn't concerned. OK, she was having trouble dragging herself off the Serta every morning—but with two small children, it was normal to feel fatigued, right? And those nagging aches? Well, considering that she played tennis and took spinning classes, not all that shocking. Besides, the youthful 39-year-old was still surprised when grocery-store clerks called her "ma'am." What was there to worry about? So when the New Jersey resident started to feel sharp pain in her shoulder blade, she sucked it up. "Some people would have gone to the doctor," she says. "But I hadn't felt my best in so long—one problem or another was nagging at me." Soon, though, she was feeling breathless and running a fever. When she finally complained of her symptoms to her primary-car...

How to tell when a surgical biopsy is necessary. By Dr. Rob for MSN Health & Fitness Q: I'm a woman in my late 30s and found a lump on my breast. I had a mammogram and ultrasound, both of which came back negative. On my doctor's suggestion, I then met with a surgeon, who said it's not a cyst and wants to have a surgical biopsy done to know for sure. I'm confused. Should I get a second opinion? A: Breast lumps are pretty common, especially in premenopausal women. Fortunately, most are benign (not cancerous) and tend to come and go during a menstrual cycle. However, finding one can be very scary, especially with the knowledge that it could be cancer. This fact makes it very important for every woman—or man, for that matter—to see a physician if any changes in the breasts or nipples, such as discharge or bleeding, is noticeable. That being said, I want to reassure you that it sounds as if your physician has followed the proper protocol in evaluating your breast lum...

Two drugs — tamoxifen (Nolvadex) and raloxifene (Evista) — now have official Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval to help protect high-risk women from getting breast cancer. Research is under way to determine if other drugs can do the job as well as or better than tamoxifen and raloxifene. Top on the list of potential breast cancer prevention drugs is a class of medications known as the aromatase inhibitors. Ongoing studies are evaluating the preventive effects of the aromatase inhibitors versus placebo in high-risk postmenopausal women. Aromatase inhibitors Aromatase inhibitors reduce estrogen levels in a woman's body by preventing an enzyme called aromatase from converting other hormones to estrogen. By reducing the amount of estrogen in your body, you deprive breast cancer cells of the fuel they need to grow and thrive. Aromatase inhibitors are only effective in postmenopausal women. Three aromatase inhibitors are currently used to treat breast cancer in pos...