Experts are not definitively sure what causes breast cancer. It is hard to say why one person develops the disease while another does not. e !now that some ris! factors can impact on a woman"s li!elihood of developin# breast cancer. $hese $hese are:
Getting older % % the older a woman #ets& the hi#her is her ris! of developin# breast cancer' a#e is a ris! factor. (ver )*+ of all female breast cancers occur amon# women a#ed ,*- years after the menopause menopause. .
Genetics % Genetics % women who have a close relative who has/had breast or ovarian cancer are more li!ely to develop breast cancer. If two close family members develop the disease& it does not necessarily mean they shared the #enes that ma!e them more vulnerable& because breast cancer is a relatively common cancer. $he ma0ority of breast cancers are not hereditary. omen who carry the 241 and 245 #enes have a considerably hi#her ris! of developin# breast and/or ovarian cancer. $hese #enes can be inherited. $,3& another #ene& is also lin!ed to #reater breast cancer ris!.
A history of breast cancer % % women who have had breast cancer& even non%invasive cancer& are more li!ely to develop the disease a#ain& compared to women who have no history of the disease.
Having had certain types of breast lumps % lumps % women who have had some types of beni#n non%cancerousbreast non%cancerousbreast lumps are lumps are more li!ely to develop cancer later on. Examples include atypical ductal hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ.
Dense breast tissue % tissue % women with more dense breast tissue have a #reater chance of developin# breast cancer.
Estrogen exposure % exposure % women who started havin# periods earlier or entered menopause later than usual have a hi#her ris! of developin# breast cancer. $his is because their bodies have been exposed to estrogen estrogen for for lon#er. Estro#en exposure be#ins when periods start& and drops dramatically durin# the menopause.
Obesity % Obesity % post%menopausal obese and overwei#ht women may have a hi#her ris! of developin# breast cancer. Experts say that there are hi#her levels of estro#en in obese menopausal women& which may be the cause of the hi#her ris!.
Height % Height % taller%than%avera#e women have a sli#htly #reater li!elihood of developin# breast cancer than shorter%than%avera#e women. Experts are not sure why.
Alcohol consumption % consumption % the more alcohol a woman re#ularly drin!s& the hi#her her ris! of developin# breast cancer is. The ayo Clinic says Clinic says that if a woman wants to drin!& she should not exceed one alcoholic bevera#e per day. !adiation exposure % exposure % under#oin# %rays and and CT scans scans may raise a woman"s ris! of developin# breast cancer sli#htly. 8cientists at the 9emorial 8loan%etterin# ancer enter found that "omen "ho had been treated "ith radiation to the chest for a childhood cancer have a higher ris# of developing breast cancer .
H!T $hormone replacement therapy% % therapy% % both forms& combined and estro#en% only H!T H!T therapies may increase a woman"s ris! of developin# breast cancer sli#htly. ombined ;2$ causes a hi#her ris!.
Certain &obs % &obs % <rench researchers found that that "omen "ho "or#ed at night prior to a first pregnancy had a higher ris# of eventually ev entually developing breast cancer . anadian researchers found that that certain &obs' especially those that bring the human body into contact "ith possible carcinogens and endocrine disruptors are lin#ed to a higher ris# of developing breast cancer . Examples include bar/#amblin#& automotive plastics manufacturin#& metal%wor!in#& food cannin# and a#riculture. $hey reported their findin#s in the =ovember 5*15 issue of Environmental Health. Health.
survival % women who have Cosmetic implants may undermine breast cancer survival % cosmetic breast implants and develop breast cancer may have a hi#her ris! of dyin# prematurely form the disease compared to other females& researchers from anada reported in the BMJ (British Medical Journal) 9ay Journal) 9ay 5*13 issue. $he team loo!ed at twelve peer%reviewed articles on observational studies which had been carried out in Europe& the >84 and anada. Experts had lon#%wondered whether cosmetic breast implants mi#ht ma!e it harder to spot mali#nancy at an early sta#e& because they produce shadows on mammo#rams. In this latest study& the authors found that a "oman "ith a cosmetic breast implant has a ()* higher ris# of being diagnosed "ith breast cancer "hen the disease has already advanced&& compared to those with no implants. advanced omen with cosmetic breast implants who are dia#nosed with breast cancer have a 3)+ hi#her ris! of death from the disease& compared to other patients dia#nosed with the same disease who have no implants& the researchers wrote. 4fter warnin# that there were some limitations in the twelve studies they loo!ed at& the authors concluded ?<urther investi#ations are warranted into the lon# term effects of cosmetic breast implants on the detection and pro#nosis of breast cancer& ad0ustin# for potential confounders.?