According to research, your risk for breast cancer is caused by a combination of factors. Being a woman and getting older are the two most important risk factors, and most breast cancers are found in women over 50.
Some women will develop breast cancer despite having no other known risk factors. The presence of a risk factor does not guarantee that you will develop the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Although most women have some risk factors, the majority of women do not develop breast cancer. If you have breast cancer risk factors, talk to your doctor about ways to reduce your risk and breast cancer screening.
Risk Factors of Breast Cancer You Cannot Change
Here are some of the associated risk factors of breast cancer symptoms that can lead to horrendous and life-threatening results if not treated in time and with care;
- A woman who has had cancer in one breast, such as pancreatic adenocarcinoma in situ (DCIS) or invasive breast cancer, is three to four times more likely to develop new breast cancer in either the other breast or another part of the same breast than is unrelated to the first. This is not the same as a recurrence of previous breast cancer.
- As you get older, your risk increases. Every year, approximately 77% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, and more than 40% are 65 and older. Breast cancer has a 1 in 68 chance of developing in women aged 40 to 50. From 50 to 60, it rises to 1 in 42. From 50 to 60, it rises to 1 in 42. It’s one in 28 from 60 to 70. It is also 1 in 26 women aged 70 and up.
- A woman is more likely to develop breast cancer if she has a mother, sister, or daughter (a “first-degree” relative). It’s even worse if this relative had breast cancer before age 50 and had cancer in both breasts. A first-degree relative with breast cancer roughly doubles your risk, and two first-degree relatives nearly triple your risk. Having a male blood relative with breast cancer raises the risk even more.
- Breast cancer is inherited in about 5% to 10% of cases, and BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation carriers are more likely to develop breast cancer. Women with an inherited BRCA1 gene mutation have a 72% chance of developing breast cancer by age 80. A woman with an inherited alteration in the BRCA2 gene has a 69% chance of developing breast cancer by that age.
- Your breasts are made up of a combination of fatty, fibrous, and glandular tissue. Breasts that are dense have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat. Breast cancer is 1.5 to 2 times more likely in women with dense breasts.
- Atypical hyperplasia (lobular or ductal) or lobular carcinoma in situ increases a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer by four to five times.
- Breast cancer in second or third-degree relatives, such as aunts, grandmothers, and cousins, is referred to as this.
- Women with a history of fibroadenomas with complex features, hyperplasia without atypia, sclerosing adenosis, or solitary papilloma are at a slightly higher risk.
- If you received radiation treatment to your chest before the age of 30, most likely to treat cancers such as lymphoma.
- Your risk is increased if a family member is diagnosed with ovarian cancer before the age of 50.
- White and African-American women are more likely to get it than Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Native American women in the United States.
- Between 1940 and 1971, many women were given this medication to prevent miscarriage. If you or your mother have it, your chances of developing breast cancer increase.
Risk Factors You Can Change
Here are some risk factors you can change with the right practice of everything in life to overcome this deadly and lethal disease.
- Being overweight after menopause raises your chances.
- Breast cancer has been linked to alcohol. Women who drink one alcoholic drink per day have a very small increase in risk compared to non-drinkers, and moderate drinkers (2 to 3 drinks per day) have about a 20% higher risk.
- Long-term estrogen and progesterone use raise the risk of developing breast cancer. This risk appears to disappear after five years of not using them.
- If you don’t exercise, your chances increase.
- Having your first child after age 30 or never having a full-term pregnancy increases your risk, and neither does breastfeeding.
The Final Words
You may be at a higher risk of developing breast cancer if you have a strong family history of the disease or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. You may also be predisposed to ovarian cancer.
Consult your doctor about ways to lower your risks, such as medications that block or reduce estrogen levels in your body or surgery.
