What affects your risk of getting breast cancer?

The causes of breast cancer are not fully known. However, health and medical researchers have identified a number of factors that increase a woman's chances of getting breast cancer. These are called risk factors. Risk factors are not necessarily causes of breast cancer, but are associated with an increased chance of getting breast cancer. Importantly, some women have many risk factors but never get breast cancer, and some women have few or no risk factors but do get the disease. Being a woman is the number one risk factor for breast cancer. For this reason, it is important to perform monthly breast self-exams (BSE), have regular clinical breast exams and routine mammograms in order to detect any problems early. See your health care provider to discuss your personal risk and your breast health needs.

There are some risk factors you can control, and others you cannot. Remember, even if you do not have any of these risk factors, you can still develop breast cancer.

Age: a major factor

A woman's chance of getting breast cancer increases with age. Your chance by your current age is:

Age 20: 1 in 2152
Age 30: 1 in 251
Age 40: 1 in 69
Age 50: 1 in 36
Age 60: 1 in 26
Age 70: 1 in 23
ever : 1 in 7

Source: American Cancer Society Surveillance Research, 2003

Factors that may increase your risk of breast cancer

• Getting older. The older your get, the greater your risk of breast cancer
• A personal history of breast or ovarian cancer
• Having a mother, daughter or sister who has had breast cancer
• Having a previous biopsy showing hyperplasia or carcinoma in situ
• Being young (<12 years) at the time of your first period
• Starting menopause after age 55
• Having an inherited mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer genes
• Having more than one drink of alcohol per day
• Being overweight after menopause or gaining weight as an adult
• Taking birth control pills for 5 years or longer (which can slightly increase your risk for breast cancer)
• Never having children
• Having your first child after age 30
• Currently or recently using combined estrogen and progesterone hormone replacement (HRT)
• Being exposed to large amounts of radiation, such as having very frequent spine X-rays during scoliosis treatment or treatment for Hodgkin's disease at a young age