There are numerous known risk factors for breast cancer, despite the fact that the National Cancer Institute states that the majority of women who are diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors and many women with multiple risk factors never develop the disease. Being aware of the risk factors can help you make healthy choices that help minimize your risk of disease.
Age factor
Aging is one of the basic risk factors for breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed in women younger than 45 years old, and two out of three invasive breast cancers are diagnosed in women 55 or older.
Genetics
While the majority of breast cancers are not hereditary, approximately five to ten percent of cases are a result of genetic mutations. Most commonly, these mutations are in the BRCA 1 or 2 gene. In the United States, these are most often seen in women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, says the American Cancer Society.
Obesity
Obesity is a risk factor for developing breast cancer, depending on a woman’s menopausal status, says the National Cancer Institute. Prior to menopause, obese women have a lower risk of developing the disease than women who are in a healthy weight range. Post menopause, obese women have 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer and also are at higher risk of dying from the disease.
Menstruating young
Women who begin menstruating before the age of 12 or who go through menopause after the age of 55 are at higher risk for breast cancer, says the organization Bright Pink.
Giving birth after 35
Having your first child after the age of 35 may increase your risk of breast cancer, says the Mayo Clinic.
Radiation
Radiation exposure to the chest at a young age, such as in Hodgkin’s disease, increases the risk of developing breast cancer.
Female factor
Women are diagnosed with breast cancer at much higher rates than men.
Family history
Having a personal or family history of the disease increases your risk of breast cancer.
Consuming alcohol
The American Cancer Society states that drinking two to five alcoholic drinks daily have 1.5 times the risk of developing breast cancer than women who do not drink.
Hormone therapy
Using hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, for menopausal symptoms, has been shown to increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
How to reduce your risk of breast cancer
SheKnows.com gives you a few tips on how to reduce your risk of getting the second most common cancer, breast cancer!
More on breast cancer awareness
- What causes breast cancer?
- Breast cancer tips every woman should know
- What it means to have the gene for breast cancer
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