Gender |
Simply being a woman is a risk factor for breast cancer.
|
Age
|
Your risk for breast cancer increases as
you get older. Over 75% of breast cancers
occur in women age 50 or older.
|
Family
History |
Your risk of getting breast cancer almost doubles
if your mother, sister, or
daughter has had the disease.
|
Breast
Disease |
The risk is higher for women with a history breast
disease that is non-cancerous. This is called
proliferative
breast disease.
|
Genetic |
About 10% of breast cancers are genetic.
This means they are linked to
a gene that is mutated or changed in
some way. The BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 genes
cause some breast cancers. A woman or man can
inherit one of these genes from either parent. About 50-60% of women
who have one of these genes that are mutated will
get breast
cancer by age 70.
|
Alcohol
|
If a woman has two or more alcoholic drinks/day,
she is more likely to get breast
cancer.
|
Obesity
|
Women who become obese, especially after menopause, have a
greater risk of getting breast cancer.
|
Pregnancy
|
The risk is higher for women who have never had children or who had their first child
after the age of 30.
|
Menstrual
Cycle |
Women who had their menstrual periods
early in life or who went
through menopause late in life have a higher
risk for breast cancer.
|
Estrogen |
Women who have recently used oral contraceptives or
have used estrogen after menopause have a
higher risk for breast cancer.
|
Chest
Radiation |
Women who had chest radiation as a child or young adult
have a higher risk for breast cancer.
|