While being a woman itself puts you at a greater risk for breast cancer, here are some factors that further increase the risk.
1. Age: The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. But in India, the average age at which breast cancer is detected is about 10 years lesser compared to other developed countries. So, more number of young women between the age of 20 and 30 years are also affected but the risk is especially higher after the age of 45 years.
2. Family history: If you have relatives or family members with breast cancer, then your chances of suffering are also high. There are certain genes which result in breast cancer if they have mutations in them. These mutated genes can be passed on from the parent to the child. About 5-10% of all breast cancer cases are likely to be inherited from the parent carrying the mutated gene.
3. Early menstruation: Your age at your first menstrual period may have something to do with your lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. A review of studies analysing the relation between the onset of menarche and risk for breast cancer found that for every year delay in the onset of menstruation, the risk of premenopausal breast cancer decreases by 9% and postmenopausal breast cancer by 4%.
4. Late menopause: It’s the opposite for menopause. With every year delay in menopause (after the age of 45 years), your risk of developing breast cancer may increase by 3%. So, a woman who goes through menopause at the age of 55 years has a 30% increased risk of breast cancer than women who go through menopause at the age of 45 years.
5. Breast tissue composition: Researchers believe that breast density, to some extent, determines the overall risk of developing breast cancer. A dense breast tissue has the risk of developing proliferative lesions that are thought to give rise to cancerous tumors. Breast density has also been identified as a risk factor for breast cancer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the National Cancer Institute. Breast with higher density also contributes to delayed diagnosis.
6. Delayed pregnancy or no pregnancy: Not giving birth to a child puts you at a higher risk of breast cancer. A woman who gives birth to children has a 30% lowered risk than a woman who was never pregnant.
7. Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding (for 12 months) reduces you chances of breast cancer by 4% compared to women who never breast feed. Moreover, the risk further reduces with longer period of breast feeding.
8. Exposure to radiation: We all know that radiation of any kind can induce mutation and cause cancer. For breast cancer, too, exposure to moderate or high intensity of radiation can increase the risk of breast cancer. A study by John EM and colleagues warrants the increasing use of radiation in medical diagnostics, especially in women who carry mutation in their genes because it causes breast cancer.
9. Obesity: Being overweight or obese can increase the risk of breast cancer in women who have gone through menopause. The risk in premenopausal women is higher with increased central obesity (higher waist-hip ratio or WHR), according to a study by Harvie M and colleagues. The study showed a 24% reduced risk in women with the smallest WHR compared to women with higher WHR.
10. Smoking: Smoking tobacco is the number one risk factor for lung cancer and oral cancer in men. But lately, the number of women smokers has increased greatly, raising their predisposition to breast cancer. And, the risk is greater for women who start smoking before first birth.
11. Using birth control pills: Long-term birth control pill users might predispose themselves to breast cancer. A study involving 963 breast cancer cases demonstrated that women who used oral contraceptives before the age of 40 years and before going through their menopause had a 50% increased risk of developing breast cancer. The risk was higher in women who had a family history of breast cancer.
12. Hormone replacement therapy: Use of hormone therapy is common these days among women who want to relieve their symptoms of menopause. The risk is higher in women who take combined therapy (estrogen and progesterone). Combined hormone replacement therapy is also thought to increase mortality risk in breast cancer.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
References:
- Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) (http://www.cdc.gov/)
- John EM and colleagues. Medical radiation exposure and breast cancer risk: findings from the Breast Cancer Family Registry.
- Norman F. Boyd and colleagues. Breast Tissue Composition and Susceptibility to Breast Cancer
- Harvie M, Hooper L, Howell AH. Central obesity and breast cancer risk: a systematic review.
- Gaudet MM and colleagues. Active smoking and breast cancer risk: original cohort data and meta-analysis.
- Brinton LA, Hoover R, Szklo M, Fraumeni JF Jr. Oral contraceptives and breast cancer.
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12 risk factors for breast cancer you should know
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