Dozens of mothers take part in a breastfeeding flash mob demonstration at a public place in Hong Kong June 14, 2014.
Dozens of mothers take part in a breastfeeding flash mob demonstration at a public place in Hong Kong June 14, 2014. The group urged the government to establish a breastfeeding policy to protect the rights of nursing mothers, the organizer said in a press release. REUTERS

Cancer, one of the deadliest and chronic illnesses kills nearly 8 million people worldwide and is increasing at an alarming rate. Today, cancer is more prevalent than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Breast cancer in Australia is on the rise and is the most common type of cancer found among women here. Though family history and DNA has a lot to do with determining whether an individual is at a higher risk for breast cancer, there are quite a few things one can do to reduce risks of breast cancer.

Nearly 14,181 new cases of breast cancer in women and 127 cases in men were registered in the year 2010 in Australia. In the year 2014, nearly 15, 270 women in Australia are likely to be diagnosed with the dreadful breast cancer. While we cannot stop this completely, we can certainly lower the risks of breast cancer.

Obesity: Obesity or being overweight increases the risk of breast cancer. This mostly happens after menopause and one can certainly avoid that.

Healthy Diet: Eat lot of green vegetables, fruits, fish, poultry and dairy products low in fat. As per a research conducted by the University of California, San Diego, and the Genesis Prevention Center at University Hospital in South Manchester, England, a meal rich in fruits, vegetables and low in fat not only helps prevent breast cancer, but also reduces the risk of recurrence of breast cancer.

Exercise: A 30-minute walk or few simple exercises for 30 to 40 minutes every day or at least five days a week has been found to lower the risk of breast cancer.

Avoid Alcohol: People consuming high levels of alcohol also are in a risk of getting breast cancer. Researchers say that women should not consume more than one drink a day.

Breast Feeding Babies: It has been found that breast feeding babies put women at a much lower risk of breast cancer than women who do not.

Avoid Exposure To Radiation: Medical tests like PET scans, mammograms, CT scans and X-rays are known to increase the risks of cancer.