Every October, women are encouraged to ‘Pink It Up’ in the name of breast cancer research and treatment. From pink socks on National Football League players to specialty pink lipsticks, breast cancer campaigns are in full swing. It’s a month of unity and fundraising, but what if it wasn’t necessary?

What if October was just like any other month, rather than Breast Cancer Awareness month, because breast cancer wasn’t an epidemic? What if there was a way to prevent breast cancer in the first place?

It may sound too good to be true, but Steven F. Hotze, MD, founder and CEO of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, believes prevention starts with balanced hormones, with an emphasis on progesterone, the female hormone that balances estrogen in women.

“Here is something you can start doing now to be proactive and help you avoid getting breast cancer in the first place. A missing link that has been overlooked is progesterone,”Hotze said. “Why aren’t we seeing advertisements for progesterone everywhere we turn? Why doesn’t your doctor talk to you about progesterone? This information should be relayed to women at every doctor’s office and hospital in the country.”

Hotze specializes in holistic medicine including bioidentical hormones, and said breast cancer is commonly linked to hormonal imbalances, including a lack of progesterone. Unbalanced estrogen is often to blame for stimulating the growth of breast cancer, so balance is the key to good health.

Knowing where to begin can be overwhelming though, so Hotze suggests patients start asking simple questions to cut through the confusion.

“Ask, ‘Do I have healthy progesterone levels?’ Natural progesterone plays a critical role in protecting women against breast cancer,”Hotze said. “The optimal balance of these two hormones is crucial to a woman’s health and well-being.”

Testing for hormone imbalance is a straightforward process and includes blood work and time spent with the doctors at the Hotze Health & Wellness Center discussing symptoms and health concerns.

Once the appropriate dosage of bioidentical progesterone is found, patients start on a low dose treatment to put the body back in balance. The medical team stresses each person’s treatment is individual just for them.

“When in balance hormones are health-promoting,” said Dr. David Sheridan, senior physician at Hotze Health & Wellness Center. “Cancer and other degenerative diseases are associated with hormonal decline in women, especially the decline of progesterone.”

Progesterone is not just a young woman’s hormone either. Even after reaching menopause or having had a hysterectomy, progesterone is still important for overall health and wellness.

While hormonal balance is the cornerstone of preventing breast cancer, Hotze recommends women make other environmental changes to amp up their protection against breast cancer.

Some tips make sense for better overall health such as avoiding processed foods, quitting smoking, staying hydrated and getting quality sleep.

Other changes are a bit more thoughtful and include using only paraben-free cosmetics and personal care products, adding antioxidants to your diet, such as vitamins E, C, A and selenium and avoiding antiperspirants or deodorants containing aluminum.

“This hormonal imbalance can be easily corrected with bioidentical progesterone, which is identical to the progesterone made by your body,”Hotze said. “We need to spread the word about how important it is for women to maintain healthy progesterone levels throughout their lives.”

To find out more about the Hotze Health & Wellness Center or to explore more about progesterone imbalance, visit the Hotze Health & Wellness Center.