Prevention & Risk Reduction
Breast health measures involve more than treating disease alone. Prevention, early detection, and personalised risk assessment play an important role in supporting long-term breast health and reducing the risk of breast cancer wherever possible.
While not all breast cancers can be prevented, understanding individual risk factors and maintaining regular breast health assessment may help support earlier diagnosis and informed decision-making.
A/Prof Farid Meybodi provides comprehensive breast assessment and works closely with experienced breast radiologists, oncologists, genetic specialists, and multidisciplinary breast care teams to support patients with personalised breast health and risk reduction strategies.
Understanding Breast Cancer Risk
Breast cancer risk varies between individuals and is influenced by a combination of factors including:
- Age and hormonal changes
- Family history of breast or ovarian cancer
- Inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA1 or BRCA2
- Personal breast health history
- Breast density
- Lifestyle and environmental factors
Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have no significant family history, while others may have an increased inherited risk requiring closer surveillance and personalised management.
Breast Awareness & Early Detection
Breast awareness remains an important part of maintaining breast health. Patients are encouraged to become familiar with the normal appearance and feel of their breasts and seek medical review if they notice:
- A new breast lump or thickening
- Nipple inversion or discharge
- Skin dimpling or redness
- Changes in breast shape or contour
- Persistent focal breast pain
Early assessment of breast symptoms may allow earlier diagnosis and treatment where required.
Breast Screening & Surveillance
Regular breast screening plays an important role in early detection, particularly for women over 40 or those with increased breast cancer risk.
Depending on age and individual risk factors, screening and surveillance may include:
- Mammography
- Breast ultrasound
- Tomosynthesis (3D mammography)
- Breast MRI in selected patients
Screening recommendations are tailored to each patient’s personal and family history, breast density, and overall risk profile.
Family History & Genetic Risk
Patients with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer may benefit from formal risk assessment and, in some cases, referral for genetic counselling or genetic testing.
Features that may suggest increased inherited risk include:
- Multiple relatives with breast cancer
- Breast cancer diagnosed at a young age
- Ovarian cancer within the family
- Male breast cancer
- Known BRCA or hereditary cancer syndromes
A personalised assessment can help guide appropriate screening, surveillance, and risk reduction strategies.
Lifestyle & Breast Health
While lifestyle changes cannot completely prevent breast cancer, maintaining overall health may help reduce risk and support long-term wellbeing.
General wellness recommendations may include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Regular physical activity
- Limiting alcohol intake
- Smoking cessation
- Balanced nutrition
- Ongoing medical care and screening
Long-term wellness and prevention involve a holistic approach to health rather than a single intervention alone.
Risk-Reducing Strategies
For patients identified as having increased breast cancer risk, additional strategies may sometimes be considered, including:
- Enhanced imaging surveillance
- Earlier or more frequent screening
- Hormonal risk-reduction therapies
- Preventive surgery in selected high-risk patients
Recommendations are highly individualised and made in consultation with multidisciplinary breast specialists and genetic teams where appropriate.
A Personalised Approach to Breast Health
A/Prof Farid Meybodi believes breast health and prevention should be approached with thoughtful, evidence-based, and patient-centred care.
Whether patients require routine breast assessment, high-risk surveillance, genetic risk evaluation, or ongoing breast health support, the focus remains on providing personalised care, clear communication, and coordinated multidisciplinary management tailored to each individual’s needs and long-term wellbeing.
