increase your risk of breast cancer . It ’ s not clear why some people who have no risk factors develop cancer , yet other people with risk factors never do . It ’ s likely that breast cancer is caused by a complex interaction of your genetic makeup and your environment .
Risk factors
A breast cancer risk factor is anything that makes it more likely you ’ ll get breast cancer . But having one or even several breast cancer risk factors doesn ’ t necessarily mean you ’ ll develop breast cancer . Many women who develop breast cancer have no known risk factors other than simply being women .
Factors that are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer include :
• Being female . Women are much more likely than men are to develop breast cancer
• Increasing age . Your risk of breast cancer increases as you age
• A personal history of breast conditions . If you ’ ve had a breast biopsy that found lobular carcinoma in situ ( LCIS ) or atypical hyperplasia of the breast , you have an increased risk of breast cancer
• A personal history of breast cancer . If you ’ ve had breast cancer in one breast , you have an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast
• A family history of breast cancer . If your mother , sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer , particularly at a young age , your risk of breast cancer is increased . Still , the majority of people diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease
• Inherited genes that increase cancer risk . Certain gene mutations that increase the risk of breast cancer can be passed from parents to children . The most well-known gene mutations are referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2 . These genes can greatly increase your risk of breast cancer and other cancers , but they don ’ t make cancer inevitable
• Radiation exposure . If you received radiation treatments to your chest as a child or young adult , your risk of breast cancer is increased
• Obesity . Being obese increases your risk of breast cancer
• Beginning your period at a younger age . Beginning your period before age 12 increases your risk of breast cancer
• Beginning menopause at an older age . If you began menopause at an older age , you ’ re more likely to develop breast cancer
• Having your first child at an older age . Women who give birth to their first child after age 30 may have an increased risk of breast cancer
• Having never been pregnant . Women who have never been pregnant have a greater risk of breast cancer than do women who have had one or more pregnancies
• Postmenopausal hormone therapy . Women who take hormone therapy medications that combine oestrogen and progesterone to treat the signs and symptoms of menopause have an increased risk of breast cancer . The risk of breast cancer decreases when women stop taking these medications
• Drinking alcohol . Drinking alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer
When to see a doctor
If you find a lump or other change in your breast - even if a recent mammogram was normal - make an appointment with your doctor for prompt evaluation .
Bonitas Member Magazine Issue 4 | 2021
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