women s health issues
Breast Cancer
Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
Several factors affect the risk of developing breast cancer. Thus, for some women, the risk is much higher or lower than average. Most factors that increase risk, such as age and certain abnormal genes, cannot be changed. For example, 1 of 8 women will develop breast cancer throughout her life. However, the risk is lower in younger women, thus a 40-year-old woman has only about a 1 in 70 chance of developing breast cancer during the next decade. But as she ages, her risk increases. Regular exercise, particularly during adolescence and young adulthood, may reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The most important way to minimize the risks to a woman's health is being vigilant about detecting breast cancer so that it can be diagnosed and treated early, when it is more likely to be cured. Early detection is more likely when women have Mammography . The breast cancer rate in the United States is highest among women ages 65 to 74 years. Median age at diagnosis is 63 years overall; it is slightly younger for Black women (60 years old) compared to White women (63 years old). Black women have the highest death rate from breast cancer compared with other races or ethnicities. Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native women are more likely to have breast cancer that has spread (metastasized) at time of diagnosis than White, Asian, and Pacific Islander women. Women with a first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) who has had breast cancer have double the risk of developing breast cancer. The risk is 3 or 4 times higher if 2 or more first-degree relatives had breast cancer. However, the risk is only slightly higher than average if more-distant relatives (grandmother, aunt, or cousin) have had breast cancer. Several gene mutations increase the risk of breast cancer.BRCA1andBRCA2mutations are present in fewer than 1% of women. These mutations are most common among people with Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry. About 5 to 10% of women with breast cancer have one of these gene mutations. If a woman has one of these mutations, her lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is about 50 to 85%. The risk of developing breast cancer by age 80 is about 72% with aBRCA1mutation and about 69% with aBRCA2mutation. However, if such a woman develops breast cancer, her chances of dying of breast cancer are not necessarily greater than those of any other woman with breast cancer. mutation also increases the risk of Ovarian Cancer, Fallopian Tube Cancer, and Peritoneal Cancer . During their life, women with Men who have aBRCAgene mutation have a 1 to 2% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. Women with one of these mutations need to be monitored more closely for breast cancer—for example, by more frequent testing or being screened with both mammography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Or they may need to try to prevent cancer from developing by taking Prevention or having both breasts removed (double Having had breast cancer increases the risk of having another breast cancer. For women who have had a mastectomy to remove 1 breast, the risk of developing cancer in the remaining breast is about 0.4% each year. Starting to have menstrual periods at a younger age or starting menopause later than average increases the risk of developing breast cancer. Risk increases with increasing age at first pregnancy. Women who have had certain changes in their breasts seem to have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. They include Changes in the breast that required a biopsy to rule out cancer Conditions that change the structure, increase the number of cells, or cause lumps or other abnormalities in breast tissue, such as complex Fibroadenomas of the Breast , hyperplasia (abnormally increased growth of tissue), atypical hyperplasia (hyperplasia with abnormal tissue structure) in the milk ducts or milk-producing glands, sclerosing adenosis (increased growth of tissue in the milk-producing glands), or papilloma (a noncancerous tumor with fingerlike projections) For women with such changes, the risk of breast cancer is increased only slightly unless abnormal tissue structure is detected during a biopsy or they have a family history of breast cancer. Dense breast tissue seen on screening mammography is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Having dense breast tissue also makes it harder for doctors to identify breast cancer on a mammogram. Having dense breasts means that women have more fibroglandular tissue (composed of fibrous connective tissue and glands) and less fatty tissue in the breast. It is not clear if the use of oral contraceptives increases the risk of breast cancer. Some studies have found a small increased risk in current or recent users. After menopause, taking combination Hormone Therapy for Menopause (estrogen with a progestin) for a few years or more increases the risk of breast cancer. Taking Radiation exposure of the chest (such as radiation therapy for cancer) up through 45 years of age increases risk, with the highest increase for those exposed between ages 10 to 14 years. It is possible that diet contributes to the development or growth of breast cancers, but evidence about the effect of a particular diet (such as a high-fat diet) is lacking (see also Diet and Cancer ). Risk of developing breast cancer is somewhat higher for women who have obesity after menopause. Research about the link between obesity and cancer is ongoing (see alsothe National Cancer Institute: Uncovering the Mechanisms Linking Obesity and Cancer Risk). Smoking and regularly drinking alcoholic beverages may increase the risk of breast cancer. Experts recommend that women limit themselves to one alcoholic drink a day. One drink is about 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of more concentrated liquor, such as whiskey. 