The causes of developing breast cancer are unknown, but the certain risk factors that link to the disease is better documented. The cancer risk factor is anything that affects a person’s chance of getting a disease. Different cancers have different risk factors. Some of these well known risk factors are smoking, drinking alcohol and a person’s personal diet that may lead to cancer. Some of these risk factors cannot be changed such as a person’s age, race or family history. However, having risk factors does not always mean that a person will develop the disease.
Although having exposed to many risk factors may increase a person chance of developing breast cancer, it is not yet known exactly how some of these risk factors may cause cells to become cancerous. As we know, hormones seem to play vital role in developing breast cancer, but again this also needs further investigation.
Some women who have one or more risk factors never develop breast cancer. And most women who get breast cancer do not have any risk factors. The following listed risk factors may increase a woman’s chances of developing the disease. Individual risk factors
Age is the biggest risk for developing breast cancer. Strangely, the more your live, the higher your risk is. The following rate has been reported by many medical researches:
From birth to age 39, 1 women in 231 will get breast cancer (0.5% chance)
From 40-59, 1 women in 25 will develop breast cancer (4% chance)
From 60-79, 1 women in 15 will develop breast cancer (approximately 7% risk)
Personal history of breast cancer
If a woman has already been diagnosed with breast cancer, her risk of developing the cancer again (recurrence) is higher than if she had never had the disease. This risk is about 1% per year. However, there are many medications available to help reducing this risk.
Also, if a woman has cancer in one breast has a greater chance of getting a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is different from the first cancer coming back (recurrence). Family history of breast cancer
Breast cancer risk is higher in women whose have close blood relatives diagnosed with this disease. In women with one affected first-degree relative, the risk of breast cancer is increased twofold to threefold. If two first-degree relatives are affected, or if the disease was diagnosed in a family member before age 45, the risk is further increased.
The relatives can be from either the mother’s or father’s side of the family. However, it is also important to note that 70% to 80% of women with breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease. Reproductive Risk Factors
Reproductive exposures play a major role in breast cancer risk. Early age at menarche (before age 12 years), late age at menopause (after age 55 years), and late age at first full-term pregnancy (after age 30 years) are linked to a modest increase in the risk of developing breast cancer. Some evidence suggests that the earlier the full-term pregnancy, the earlier the period of decreased susceptibility of breast tissue changes begins. Nulliparity is related to an increased risk for breast cancer diagnosed after 40 years old. Multiple full-term pregnancies decrease the risk of breast cancer diagnosed after 40 years regardless of the age at first birth. On the other hand, they may increase the risk for breast cancers diagnosed before 40 years old. Surgical removal of the ovaries protects against breast cancer. Breast-feeding apparently reduces the risk against breast cancer in China, but a protective effect has not been established in the US.
Many researches show that obesity has differing effects on the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. In premenopausal women, obesity is associated with an increased risk of anovulation, which results in a decrease in total integrated exposure to estrogen. Not surprisingly, obesity in premenopausal women is associated with a decrease risk of breast cancer. However, obesity in postmenopausal women is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This because postmenopausal women have little or no ovarian production of estrogen, so most of the estrogen in the circulation of postmenopausal women is derived from peripheral aromatization of androgens.
The role of Estrogen, Androgen, and Progesterone
Reproductive hormones clearly play an important role in the development of breast cancer. In men, the life time risk of breast cancer is 100 times lower than the risk in women. Many researches are keen to find out the relevant factors in breast cancer risks in women who take hormones daily, either to prevent pregnancy or to alleviate the symptoms and after effects of menopause. So far, many studies have shown no effect of birth control pills on a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer. And although postmenopausal estrogens taken for 10 years or longer do double the risk, they lower a women’s overall risk of death because they help to prevent the far more common problem of coronary heart disease and also protect against osteoporosis, a weakening of the bones.
Oral contraceptives and Breast Cancer risk
The use of modern, low dose oral contraceptives is not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. For example, in one case-control study, 4575 women with breast cancer and 4682 controls who ranged from 35 to 64 years of age were interviewed regarding their use of oral contraceptives and other relevant exposure. Neither current nor past use of oral contraceptives was associated with the development of breast cancer. Also, long periods of oral contraceptive use (more than 15 years) and initiation of use at a young age (under 15 years of age) did not correlate with an increased risk. The results were similar among both white and black women.
Many previous studies combined women using low dose and high dose oral contraceptives. The results suggested that the use of high dose oral contraceptives containing estrogen and progestin may have been associated with a very slight increase in the risk of breast cancer. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer risk
The fear of developing breast cancer is one of the greatest health concerns for many women. For many years women have been worried about hormone replacement therapy that may be related to an increased risk of breast cancer. Unfortunately, these concerns or worries have been proven to be correct. Many medical studies and clinical trials have shown that the use of hormone replacement therapy by menopausal women for more than five years is associated with a small increase in risk of breast cancer. Smoking, diet, and stress
Many researches have been conducted into the effects of smoking on breast cancer. Results have been shown that smoking does not seem to be linked to breast cancer. But smoking is bad for your health in general, so if you smoke, you may be advised to stop doing so.
A research done by Cancer Research UK’s London Psychosocial Group has found that stress has no link with breast cancer risk.
Recent research indicates that what you eat may play a small part in increasing your risk of developing breast cancer (Refer to our nutrition section). Alcohol use and Breast Cancer risk
Alcohol use by women appear to be associated with a decreased risk of heart disease and an increased risk of breast cancer.
Alcohol at doses of 1.5 to 29.9 g/day (a 4-ounce glass of wine contains approximately 10.8 g of alcohol; a standard drink of spirit contains 15.1 g of alcohol; 12 ounces of beer contains 13.2 g of alcohol) reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Many researches found that at high doses of alcohol (more than 30g a day), alcohol consumption increased the risk of death from breast cancer and liver cirrhosis. Alcohol may increase the risk of breast cancer by increasing the bioavailability of estrogen. Alcohol may also enhance mammary gland susceptibility to carcinogenic DNA damage and increase the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells.
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