Know Your Risk
1 in 8 women gets breast cancer during their lifetime, making it crucial to take a proactive approach to your health. While preventing cancer is not entirely possible, you can take steps to protect yourself. Access the Healthy Living and Personal Risk Guide, which is accessible and designed to help you evaluate your breast cancer risk and safeguard your overall health.
What Do Scientists Know About The Cause Of Breast Cancer?
Cancer development is triggered by damage to a cell’s DNA, but the cause or mechanism of such damage remains unclear. It may be attributed to genetic or environmental factors or, more commonly, a combination of both. Nevertheless, many patients may never determine the exact cause of their cancer. However, various established risk factors have been linked to breast cancer.
Genetic Factors
Here are some established risk factors associated with breast cancer:
Gender: Breast cancer is much more common in women than men, with the vast majority of cases occurring in women.
Age: Breast cancer is more likely to occur as a woman ages, with two-thirds of invasive breast cancer cases being diagnosed in women over 55.
Race: While breast cancer can occur in any race, it is more commonly diagnosed in Caucasian women than in women of different races.
Obesity: Obesity is a major risk factor for both men and women from a breast cancer perspective.
Genetic and family history, personal health history, menstrual and reproductive history, certain genome changes, and dense breast tissue increase the risk of breast cancer. If a nearby or close relative (such as a mother or sister.
Overweight or Obese: Obesity can elevate your risk for breast cancer, particularly after menopause.
Drinking Alcohol: Frequent consumption of alcohol can increase your risk for breast cancer, and the risk increases with the amount of alcohol consumed.
Radiation to the Chest: Having radiation therapy to the chest before age 30 can increase your risk for breast cancer.
Combined Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Taking combined hormone replacement therapy, as prescribed for menopause, can increase your risk for breast cancer and the risk that cancer will be detected at a more advanced stage.
Statistics
60-70% of individuals diagnosed with breast cancer do not have any association with these established risk factors. At the same time, some individuals with these risk factors will never develop breast cancer.
These Do Not Cause Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from one person to another. Contrary to popular myths, breast cancer is not caused by various factors such as wearing underwire bras, having breast implants, using deodorants or antiperspirants, getting mammograms, consuming caffeine, using plastic food serving items, being exposed to microwaves, or using cell phones,(father, or child) has been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer, or if they were diagnosed before age 50, your risk of breast cancer increases.
Additionally, your risk increases if you have been diagnosed with breast cancer in one breast or if abnormal breast cells have been detected before. Early menstruation, late menopause, having your first child at an older age, or never giving birth can also increase your risk. Specific mutations in genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 can also increase your risk.
Lastly, having dense breast tissue can increase your risk and make lumps harder to detect. It’s essential to ask your physician if you have dense breasts and what the implications of having dense breasts are.
Environmental And Lifestyle Risk Factors
In addition to genetic and personal factors, particular lifestyle and environmental factors may increase your risk for breast cancer:
Lack of Physical Activity: Breast cancer risk may be elevated by a sedentary lifestyle characterized by minimal physical activity.
Poor Diet: Consuming a diet rich in saturated fat and deficient in fruits and vegetables can raise the likelihood of developing breast cancer.
