Certain genes increase your risk of breast cancer. But just because someone in your family has had breast cancer doesn’t mean you’ll get it. Lifestyle factors, like drinking alcohol, can increase your risk.
There are risk factors associated with breast cancer — some you can control, but others you can’t.
Although we don’t cover every risk factor for breast cancer below, these risk factors are the most common and best understood.
About risk factorsHaving
risk factors for breast cancer doesn’t mean you will develop the disease. It means your chances of getting it are increased.Many people have one or more risk factors for breast cancer but will never get it.
There isn’t much you can do to change your genetics and personal history, but knowing about them can help you stay vigilant about your health.
1. Sex and age
Sex and age are two of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer that can’t be changed.
Women are more likely to develop breast cancer than men, but this doesn’t mean that some men won’t develop breast cancer.
According to the
The risk a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the next 10 years
- At age 30 years: The risk is 1 in 204.
- At age 40 years: The risk is 1 in 65.
- At age 50 years: The risk is 1 in 42.
- At age 60 years: The risk is 1 in 28.
- At age 70 years: The risk is 1 in 24.
2. Family history and genetics
Your risk of breast cancer
If you’ve personally received a breast cancer diagnosis, you also have a
This isn’t the same as the risk of recurrence. Recurrence is when breast cancer that was diagnosed earlier has come back.
Approximately
This doesn’t automatically mean you’ll develop breast cancer if you have either of the mutations, but your risk of developing breast cancer by age 80 years is about
This statistic increases if more of your family members are affected by breast cancer.
3. Reproductive factors and menstrual history
Getting your first period before the age of 12 years or going through menopause after the age of 55 years may
Additionally, not having children or having your first child after the age of 30 years may increase your risk.
If you’ve given birth, nursing your child after birth may have a protective effect against breast cancer.
4. Dense breasts
Dense breasts can make detecting lumps or abnormalities in a mammogram more difficult. But having dense breasts doesn’t increase your risk of dying from breast cancer.
In women age 40 years and older,
Additionally, research suggests that women with dense breasts may be 4 to 6 times more likely to develop breast cancer compared with women with more fatty breasts.
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Talk with your doctor about whether digital or 3D mammograms may be a better option for you if you have dense breasts.
5. Previous radiation to the chest
Having radiation to your chest area for a different kind of cancer in the past increases your risk of developing breast cancer.
Lifestyle risk factors are ones that you can control and change.
6. Diet and exercise
According to a
- fatty meats
- full-fat dairy products
- palm oils
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A sedentary lifestyle may also increase the risk. High levels of regular physical activity may reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 10%, a
Another
7. Weight
Obesity is an
The increased risk is due to the fact that fat cells make estrogen, which increases the amount of estrogen in your body. Having higher levels of estrogen can increase the risk of developing hormone receptor-positive breast cancers.
According to a
8. Alcohol consumption and smoking
Drinking alcohol
According to the
- Light drinkers: 1.04 times more likely to develop breast cancer
- Moderate drinkers: 1.23 times more likely to develop breast cancer
- Heavy drinkers: 1.6 times more likely to develop breast cancer
- Women who have never smoked: light to moderate drinking are 1.13 times more likely to develop breast cancer
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This is compared to those who smoked more than 25 pack-years, which showed no reduced risk of breast cancer.
You can opt to avoid alcohol if you drink. You can also try a smoking cessation program if you currently smoke.
9. Hormone therapy
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The use of HRT may also increase the risk of recurrence in breast cancer survivors.
Your risk increases the longer you use hormone therapy.
Most people have one or more risk factors for breast cancer. Your risk isn’t due to just one factor. Instead, it’s due to a combination of different factors.
You can change some risk factors, like your diet or exercise levels. However, you don’t have control over other risk factors, like your age or genetics.
Knowing about your risk factors can help you stay vigilant when it comes to your health and the choices you make.
Talk with your doctor about the risk factors that you might have and how to best address them.