Understanding Breast Cancer Risk Factors
Currently, there is no definitive test that can predict whether a woman will develop breast cancer. It is a disease that is not preventable. However, early detection of breast cancer can significantly increase a woman's chances of survival and can decrease the amount of treatment that she needs.
It is important for every woman to know the symptoms of breast cancer and to have regular medical exams. Early detection is especially important for women who have one or more of the following breast cancer risk factors.
Genetic and Endocrine Risk Factors
There are some risk factors that a woman is born with and that she cannot control. For example, girls who start menstruating at a young age and women who start menopause at a later age are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer. A personal history of breast cancer and certain non-cancerous breast diseases also increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer as will a family history of breast cancer. Changes in the breast cancer related genes can also indicate an elevated risk of developing the disease.
Pregnancy Related Factors
There are certain factors related to having a baby that can put women at greater risk of developing breast cancer. Women who are older when they have their first baby and women who do not breastfeed have an increased chance of developing the disease as compared to women who were younger when they had their first baby and breastfed their children. Further, women who never give birth are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Environmental Risk Factors
There are some environmental risk factors over which women exert a certain amount of control that can increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. For example, women who are overweight have a greater risk of developing the disease as do women who consume more than one alcoholic drink a day. Similarly, a lack of regular exercise and the use of birth control pills can be factors in developing the disease.
Women who have had radiation treatment to the breast or chest area should also be aware that radiation treatment, while often necessary, is a risk factor associated with breast cancer.
It is important not to panic when you look at this list of risk factors. The risk of breast cancer increases as women get older and, while every single woman is aging, only about 11% of women will eventually develop the disease. Most women can identify with one more of the factors on the list and the majority of them will not develop breast cancer. Still, the risk factors are useful to be aware of and to discuss with your doctor so that you can be properly screened and so that any breast cancer can be diagnosed early to ensure the best possible outcome.