Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is expected to account for 30 percent of female cancer cases and 14 percent of the 282,500 female cancer deaths projected for 2017. A woman’s odds of getting breast cancer are 1 in 8.
While there’s no one definitive way to prevent breast cancer — and many risk factors are beyond your control — being aware of the following most common risk factors can help you deal with those that are in your control.
Being a woman Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than in men.
Age Two out of three women with invasive breast cancer are 55 or older.
Family history Your risk is doubled if your mother, sister, or daughter has had breast cancer. Your risk is tripled if two immediate relatives have had it. “Screening guidelines vary a little based on family history, so talk to your doctor about what’s best for you,” McFarland says.
Your genes Between 5 and 10 percent of breast cancers are thought to be caused by specific gene mutations that are hereditary, with BRCA1 and BRCA2 being the most common mutations linked to the disease.
Race White women are more susceptible to breast cancer than African-Americans, but African-American women are more likely to die from breast cancer, partly because their tumors may grow faster and appear at a more advanced stage.
Dense breast tissue More fibrous and glandular tissue rather than more fatty tissue — due to age, menopausal status, certain drugs, pregnancy, and genetics — can increase breast cancer risk up to twofold and can make visualizing early cancers on a mammogram more difficult.
Previous radiation treatment to the chest Women who were previously treated for another cancer have a higher risk of breast cancer, particularly if they got the treatment when their breasts were still developing.
A greater than average number of menstrual periods (onset of menstruation before age 12, onset of menopause after age 55) slightly raises risk.
No pregnancies or a late first pregnancy (after age 30) minimally raises overall risk, though pregnancy may increase the risk of specific breast cancer subtypes, like triple-negative disease.
Birth control pills The level of risk appears to go back to normal 10 years after a woman stops taking the pill, however.
Past treatment with diethylstilbestrol (DES), a drug once used to prevent miscarriage, mildly raises breast cancer risk.