1. Breast Cancer Risk Factors

2. 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

3. Risk factors for breast cancer
The greatest risk factors for breast cancer are sex and age
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

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

5. Additional risk factors for breast cancer
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

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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Reducing Risk
Some of the risk factors for breast cancer are out of the control of the individual
Age, sex, race, personal and family history, breast changes, breast density, genetic mutation, radiation therapy
What risk factors can a person control?
Physical activity, weight, alcohol consumption

10. Resources
What You Need to Know About Breast Cancer, National Cancer Institute
Breast Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute
What are the risk factors for breast cancer? American Cancer Society