Exercise increases the activity of infection-fighting T-cells and may increase survival for women who have gone through chemotherapy.

I just remind myself the technicians compress because they care. And they assure me this is the most effective way to detect early (and treatable) breast cancer.

We can't control all the factors associated with breast cancer, such as being a woman or getting older. Some we can control however, such as how we eat and exercise.

I can make better decisions in these areas:

Real Fruits and Veggies

1. I can choose to eat real fruits and vegetables. These foods naturally contain potent cancer-fighting substances. Overwhelming scientific evidence shows the more fruits and vegetables people eat, the lower their rates of cancer, including breast cancer. However, when substances from fruits and vegetables are isolated and studied for their protective effects, the results are not as convincing.

Scientists believe the best cancer protection comes from the vast array and balance of nutrients and phytochemicals found in real food.

2. I can choose to manage my weight, especially after menopause.

Extra fat cells produce extra estrogen -- a hormone that nourishes certain types of breast cancer.

Interestingly, the risk for breast cancer is higher for women who became overweight as adults. It is also higher for women with "apple" shapes who carry extra weight around the middle instead of hips or thighs. "Apples" are also at a higher risk for heart disease and diabetes if weight gets out of control.

The Alcohol Factor

3. I can abstain from alcohol or drink moderately. Women who drink more than one alcoholic drink a day (one drink equals 5 ounces of wine or 12 ounces of beer or 1 ounce of liquor) increase their risk for developing breast cancer.

4. I can choose to eat less fat. We still don't know if fat is really a risk factor for breast cancer, but it is interesting that breast cancer is lowest in populations of people who eat less fat.

5. I can choose to move it, move it! Exercise increases the activity of infection-fighting T-cells and may increase survival for women who have gone through chemotherapy, according to research conducted at Pennsylvania State University.

Another recent study found that women who exercised moderately three to five hours a week were less likely to die of breast cancer than women who exercised less than an hour a week.

Sensible Approach to Soy

6. I can choose to

eat soy foods sensibly. A recent review in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association states that soy foods may be protective against breast cancer, especially when consumed from an early age over many years, such as in Asian populations.

Highly processed soy foods may not have the same beneficial effect, however. And some studies suggest that soy foods may promote breast cancer in susceptible women. Most of these studies, however, used isolated soy protein or isoflavones in much higher doses than are found in traditional soy foods such as tofu.

I'll choose to go by the American Cancer Society's recommendation: "Breast cancer survivors should consume only moderate amounts of soy foods as part of a healthy plant-based diet and should not intentionally ingest very high levels of soy products."

Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. E-mail her at bquinn@chomp.org.