Am I at risk for getting breast cancer?
There are various risk factors that potentiate the spread of breast cancer. Some of them cannot be avoided like family history, whereas other lifestyle factors can be controlled. These include:
- Being obese/overweight: Women who become overweight or obese after menopause may also have a greater risk of developing breast cancer due to increased levels of estrogen and large intake of sugar
- Age: Increased age can elevate the risk of developing breast cancer. Most invasive breast cancers are found in women above 55 years of age
- Genetics: Women carrying certain mutations in the inherited genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are more likely to develop breast cancer, ovarian cancer or both. TP53 gene mutations also cause increased risk of breast cancer
- Hereditary/family history of breast cancer: Women with past medical history of breast cancer are more likely to get it again than those who don’t have any history of the disease. A woman who have certain types of non-cancerous breast lump such as atypical ductal hyperplasia or in situ lobular carcinoma can have increased risk to develop cancer later. Individuals with a history of breast, ovarian, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer should undergo genetic testing to avoid the risk of recurrence
- Dense breasts: Dense breast tissue can be one of the major causes of breast cancer and it also makes mammograms hard to read
- Alcohol consumption: Women who consume alcohol at higher rate have greater risk of developing breast cancer than those who do not drink
- Early menstruation: Women who attain their puberty early (less than 10 years) have an increased risk for breast cancer
- Late pregnancy: Women who don’t have their first child until the age of 35 have an increased risk of breast cancer
- Hormone therapy: Women who have taken or are under the medication of postmenopausal estrogen and progesterone to reduce their signs of menopause symptoms have a higher risk of breast cancer
- Late menopause: Women who get their menopause until the age of 55 are more likely to develop breast cancer
- Never being pregnant: Women who were never pregnant or have never completed a pregnancy continue to develop breast cancer
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