Risks of breast cancer

Yay i got into the blog!
Here's my research - i fixed that statistic to do with age, it makes more sense now, oops

What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer?
American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)

Risk factors that can’t be changed:
Gender: Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than men
Age: As age increases risk increases: About 17% of invasive breast cancer diagnoses are among women in their 40s, while about 78% of women with invasive breast cancer are age 50 or older when they are diagnosed
Genetics: Around 5-10% cases are hereditary
Family History: Risk increases if:
-You have 2 or more relatives with breast or ovarian cancer, or both.
-Breast cancer occurs before age 50 in a relative (mother, sister, grandmother or aunt) on either side of the family. The risk is higher if your mother or sister has a history of breast cancer.
-You have 1 or more relatives with two cancers (breast and ovarian, or 2 different breast cancers).
-You have a male relative (or relatives) with breast cancer.
-You have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer and Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
-Your family history includes a history of diseases associated with hereditary breast cancer such as Li-Fraumeni or Cowden Syndrome.
-Having 1 first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman's risk. Having 2, first-degree relatives increases her risk 5-fold. Although the exact risk is not known, women with a family history of breast cancer in a father or brother also have an increased risk of breast cancer. Altogether, about 20% to 30% of women with breast cancer have a family member with this disease.

Personal History: If you have already had breast cancer there is a 3-4 fold risk of developing a new cancer
Race: White women are at greatest risk of developing cancer, whilst African women are at greatest risk of dying from it. Asian, Hispanic and Native American women have a lower risk of developing/dying from breast cancer.
Abnormal Breast Biopsy: Breast lesions are divided into 3 groups:
-Non-proliferative lesions (those not associated with any overgrowth of breast tissue – no added risk or to small extent
-Proliferative lesions without atypia (those with excessive growth of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breast tissue) – 1 ½ - 2 times normal risk
-Proliferative lesions with atypia (those with excessive growth of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breast tissue and the cells no longer appear normal) – 4-5 times normal risk
Radiation: Radiation therapy in chest area can increase risk (up to 12 times), younger patients have higher risk - especially if breast is still developing. If chemotherapy was also used and this stopped ovarian hormone production the risk may be lowered
Menstrual Periods: Starting menstruation before 12 yrs, or menopause after 55 can increase risk
Diethylstilbestrol (DES): A drug used from the 1940s-1960s to decrease risk of miscarriage. Women who used the drug have been shown to have slightly increased risk of breast cancer

Lifestyle related factors:

Not Having Children: Women who do not have a child before the age of 30 have increased risk.
Breast-feeding & pregnancy: Women who have multiple pregnancies or become pregnant at an early age have decreased risk of breast cancer. In some studies breastfeeding has been shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer but other studies have shown no correlation between the two.
Oral Contraceptive Use: It is uncertain which ones but women using oral contraceptives were found to have an increased risk
Hormone Replacement Therapy: If postmenopausal hormone therapy (PHT) is used for several years or more there is an increased risk of developing, and dying of breast cancer. Particularly with the use of estrogen and progesterone combined.
Alcohol: Alcohol increases the risk: compared with non drinkers, women who consume 2-5 drinks daily have 1 ½ times the risk of developing breast cancer, those who have 1 drink daily have a slight increase also.
Obesity and High fat diets: Obesity, especially for women after menopause, has been found to increase the risk of breast cancer. This is because fat tissue adds to the estrogen produced by your ovaries; the more estrogen, the higher the risk.
Physical Activity: Physical activity can reduce the risk of breast cancer, one study has shown that 1.25-2.5 hrs/week of brisk walking decreased a woman’s risk by 18%.

This is a summary of the information from the American Cancer Society, there were also some other factors, eg antiperspirant deodorant, that are unproven or controversial. For a more detailed read go to http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_breast_cancer_5.asp


-Amy