I NOTE with interest your report about the potential for aspirin to reduce the chance of developing or dying from bowel and stomach cancer ("Aspirin helps to ward off cancer, says study", The Herald, August 6|).

Most of us are always looking for ways to reduce our risk of developing cancer - a disease that one in three of us will be diagnosed with at some point in our lives. What people need to know is there is something you can do that can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by at least 20 per cent. And something that will also improve your chances of avoiding a number of other life threatening diseases. And that is physical activity.

At Breakthrough Breast Cancer, we now know from reviewing the evidence and consulting with experts that being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day would mean - if done by every woman in Scotland - we could avoid one in six breast cancer cases every year.

But that has to start with the first step. Women in Scotland recently told us that swimming was the most likely sport they would choose to compete in at the Commonwealth Games. Not everyone can be a medal winner but you can take part at any level.

So while memories of our amazing success at the Games are fresh in our minds, why not consider taking some steps to be more physically active that could be worth their own weight in gold?

James Jopling,

Director for Scotland at Breakthrough Breast Cancer,

38 Thistle Street, Edinburgh.