Breast Cancer Risk Factors

What causes breast cancer?

No one knows why some women develop breast cancer and others do not

However, research has shown that women with certain risk factors are more likely to develop a breast cancer

Risk factors are characteristics or behaviors that increase the possibility of developing a disease

Risk factors for breast cancer

Men do get breast cancer, but it is extremely rare; breast cancer primarily affects women

The chance of developing a breast cancer increases the older a woman gets

Breast cancer is not common in women before menopause

Most cases of breast cancer occur in patients over the age of 60

The greatest risk factors for breast cancer are sex and age

Personal history of breast cancer – a woman who has had breast cancer in one breast has an increased risk of developing cancer in the other breast

Family history – having relatives with cancer increases a person’s risk of developing cancer

Do all women with a family history of cancer develop breast cancer?

No. Many women with known risk factors do not get breast

cancer. In fact, most women with breast cancer have no

family history of the disease.

Breast changes – the presence of some abnormal cells in the breast (either atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)) increases the risk of breast cancer

Breast density – women with dense breast tissue are at an increased risk

Race – breast cancer is diagnosed more often in white women than in Latina, Asian, or African American women

Additional risk factors for breast cancer

Being overweight or obese after menopause Lack of physical activity – women who are

inactive throughout their life may have an increased risk of breast cancer

Drinking alcohol – studies suggest that the more alcohol a woman drinks, the greater her risk of breast cancer

Genetic mutations – mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer

Reproductive and menstrual history The older a woman is when she has her first

child, the greater her risk of breast cancer Women who had their first menstrual period

before age 12 are at increased risk Women who went through menopause after

age 55 have a higher risk Women who never had children have a

higher risk Women who take hormone therapy after

menopause appear to have an increased risk of breast cancer

Additional risk factors Radiation therapy to the chest

women who had radiation before age 30 are at an increased risk of breast cancer

studies show that the younger a woman was when she received radiation treatment, the higher her risk of breast cancer later in life

Taking DES (diethylstilbestrol) DES was given to some pregnant women in the

US between 1940 and 1971 Women who took DES may have a slightly

increased risk of breast cancer

Reducing Risk

What risk factors can a person control?

Age, sex, race, personal and family history, breast changes, breast density, genetic mutation, radiation therapy

Some of the risk factors for breast cancer are out of the control of the individual

Physical activity, weight, alcohol consumption

Resources What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer,

National Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/prevention/breast/Patient/page3

What are the risk factors for breast cancer? American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_breast_cancer_5.asp