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| Anything that increases a person’s chances of developing a disease sometime in their life is considered a risk factor. Many women with risk factors for breast cancer never develop the disease while many who do develop breast cancer have no apparent risk factors. While having certain risk factors for a particular disease does not mean that a person will develop that disease, it is important to pay attention to these factors. |
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 |  | | | Females are at a higher risk than males for developing breast cancer. | | |
There are some risk factors that unfortunately cannot be changed; we are either genetically programmed with some, or they simply come with the territory of being a human being. The following are some examples:
- Gender: Simply being a female is the primary risk factor for developing breast cancer. This disease is about 100 times more common in women than in men.
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- Aging: 17% of invasive breast cancer diagnoses are among women in their 40s while 78% of women with breast cancer are 50 or older.
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- Genetics: 5-10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary as a result of gene changes and mutations.
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- Family history of breast cancer: Your risk of developing breast cancer is higher if close blood relatives have or have had the disease.
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- Personal history of breast cancer: You have a 3-4 fold increased risk of developing a new cancer if you have cancer already in one breast.
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- Race: White women are slightly more likely to develop breast cancer.
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- Early menstruation (before age 12) or late menopause (after age 65).
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 | | | Women who have never had children are at a slightly higher risk than others. | | | |
Below are some risk factors you can control:
- Not having children: Women who give birth after age 30 or who have never given birth have a slightly higher risk than other women.
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- Use of oral contraceptives: Recent studies suggest that women using oral contraceptives have a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer, although it is not certain what part these contraceptives play in breast cancer risk. The American Cancer Society suggests that women considering oral contraceptives should discuss their decision with a health care professional.
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- Hormone Replacement Therapy: The long-term use (several years or more) of postmenopausal hormone therapy increases breast cancer risk, particularly the combination of estrogen and progesterone.
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- Alcohol: It is recommended that you limit your alcohol consumption to a minimum.
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- Obesity: Being overweight has shown to be a breast cancer risk in most studies.
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|  | | | Being physically active lessens your risk of developing breast cancer. | | |
So what can you do that might lessen your risk of developing breast cancer? The following list provides some tips that have shown to decrease risk.
- Eat five servings or more of fruits and vegetables each day. Both delicious and nutricious, fruits and vegetables will help you establish a healthy diet in addition to decreasing your breast cancer risk. So eat up!
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- Maintain a healthy weight for your body. The goal is to both look and feel good.
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- Limit alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day.
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- Do not smoke. Not only will this decrease your breast cancer risk, but it will also help ensure that your teeth and fingers will not be stained by the nicotine.
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- Get active! It is unclear how much physical activity is needed to reduce breast cancer risk, but the association is evident. The recommendation from the American Cancer Society is to engage in 45-60 minutes of activity at least 5 days per week. Not only might it contribute to a decrease in your risk of devloping breast cancer, but it will also contribute to your overall health and well-being.
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- Breast feeding and pregnancy: Various studies have shown that having children and breast feeding can potentially reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.
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For more information, or to schedule your annual screening mammogram without a doctor’s order, please call the Roswell Imaging Center at North Fulton Regional Hospital at 770-751-2900. |
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