Urban work culture often involves prolonged sitting, minimal movement, and irregular eating habits. When combined with calorie-dense diets, this leads to weight gain.
Breast cancer is being diagnosed with increasing frequency among women living in urban areas, and genetics alone does not explain this rise. In everyday clinical practice, lifestyle patterns, work routines, and environmental exposure emerge as important contributors. Most of these shifts take place slowly, often without clear signals, which is why noticing them early really matters.
One of the most significant factors is reduced physical activity.
Urban work culture often involves prolonged sitting, minimal movement, and irregular eating habits. When combined with calorie-dense diets, this leads to weight gain. Excess body fat alters estrogen levels, which are closely linked to breast cancer risk. Regular movement, even in simple forms such as walking or stretching, plays a protective role.
Delayed childbearing is another common trend.
Today, many women delay pregnancy or decide to have only one child, often because of career or life circumstances. From a medical perspective, earlier and multiple full-term pregnancies help stabilise breast-related hormones. When this period is shortened or delayed, it can influence long-term risk.
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In cities, women are constantly around pollution, packaged food, plastics, and chemical products. It doesn’t feel like much on any given day. But over the years, the body does respond to this kind of exposure, especially hormonally. You can’t avoid everything, but cutting back where possible does make a difference.
Alcohol consumption and tobacco use, often normalised in urban social settings, further increase risk. Alcohol does increase breast cancer risk, even in small amounts. Smoking adds to that risk. For women who already have other risk factors, being mindful about both matters more than they realise.
Chronic stress and poor sleep are equally concerning.
Urban women frequently juggle professional demands and family responsibilities, leaving little room for rest. Ongoing stress and sleep deprivation disrupt hormonal regulation and weaken immune function, affecting long-term health.
Early detection remains critical. Regular breast self-examination, routine clinical check-ups, and age-appropriate mammograms can detect changes before symptoms appear. Breast cancer often develops silently, making screening essential even when one feels well.
For urban women, breast cancer risk is shaped by daily habits as much as by biology. Staying active, managing stress, making informed lifestyle choices, and prioritising regular health check-ups can make a meaningful difference. Prevention begins with awareness, and timely care can save lives.
-By Dr. Manjula Anagani, Clinical Director & Robotic Gynaecologist, HOD, CARE Vatsalya – Women and Child Institute, CARE Hospitals, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad
