Breast Cancer Risk Factors
FACTORS THAT PUT YOU AT RISK FOR DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER
50% of all breast cancers are diagnosed in women over the age of 50, and over 80% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer do not have a family history of breast cancer.
If You Started Having Periods Early or Stopped Having Periods Late.
Both of these instances will increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
If You Have a Family History of Breast Cancer. Family history does not count if it was your counsin's uncle's wife's sister. Family history includes mothers, sisters and daughters.
If An Immediate Relative Developed Breast Cancer Before Menopause Hit, Your Risk Is Increased Even Further.
If You Have Never Been Pregnant or If You Become Pregnant After The Age of 26. (That's one risk factor for me!)
If You Drink More Than Two Glasses of Liquor Each Day.
If You Smoke Cigarettes
If You Are a Woman. For every 100 women that develop breast cancer, one man will develop it as well.
If You Are Overweight. Studies show that there is a relationship between fat and an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Ladies, just another reason to hit the gym.
If You Have Ever Had Breast Cancer Before, You are at an increased risk of developing it again.
If You Have Been on Estrogen Replacement Therapy For More Than 10 Years. But there are so many good benefits that come along with replacing estrogen lost that some argue the that the benefits outweigh the risks. Estrogen replacement has been found to decrease the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer's, and colon cancer. Replacement is never considered in women with a strong family history of breast cancer or women with breast cancer.
Even if you do not have any risks factors, every woman over the age of 20 should perform a self breast exam every month. The Susan G. Koman Breast Cancer Foundation has a great interactive module that shows you how to perform one!
