Risk Factors for Breast Cancer - Genetics + Lifestyle

The statistics are bone chilling – one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. When a health threat is this pervasive, it is clearly in the best interests of every woman to take all possible precautions to protect herself and reduce her risk of being stricken with this potentially deadly disease.

But what exactly are the risk factors for breast cancer? It is vitally important that all women know the answer to this question, so they are able to make aware and informed decisions about how exactly they are going to protect themselves when those risks are present.

Genetic Risk Factors
Of course there is nothing anyone can do to eliminate a genetic predisposition to a disease. Since early detection of breast cancer dramatically increases the odds of survival, however, women who know they may be at greater risk of developing this disease can protect themselves by getting precautionary mammograms more frequently.

The genetic factors for breast cancer that have been discovered so far include:

• Age – only one out of eight breast cancer victims are under 45, while two-thirds are over 55
• Genetic mutation – mutations in the BRCA 1 and 2 genes disable breast cancer defenses, and 80% of those who have such a mutation will eventually develop the disease
• Family history – any women whose mother, daughter or sister had the disease faces double the normal risk of having breast cancer and triple the risk if two close family members have had it
• More dense breast tissue – more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue elevates the risk
• Menstrual periods – if periods began before 12 or menopause occurred after 55 the risk of developing the disease is higher
• Benign breast lesions – when breasts have shown a predisposition for abnormal cell growth, the likelihood of cancer eventually developing increases five fold
• Past radiation exposure – past radiation treatment for cancer or another disease in the chest area increases breast cancer risk, if the earlier exposure occurred before the age of 40
• Race and ethnicity – white women are slightly more vulnerable than the female population as a whole, while African-American women are more likely to die from the disease. Late detection plays a role in the morbidity and mortality outcomes of African-Americans women.
• Past incidence – anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past is up to four times more likely to get it again