Risk Factors of Breast Cancer You Can’t Control

One of every eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer.  It is the most common cancer for women and over two million women have been treated for this disease.  Men are also at risk but they are less at risk of developing breast cancer than women.  The good news is that breast cancer deaths are decreasing and the survival rate is much better, especially if the disease is detected early.  Improved technology and new testing methods are responsible for the earlier detection of breast cancer and the decrease in deaths from breast cancer.

Some risks are unavoidable.  If you are a woman, you are a risk for breast cancer.  You can’t control this factor.  You will age; another risk factor you can’t control.  Eight out of ten breast cancers are found in women over 50.  Your family health history and the genes you inherit are also risks that are not under your control.  If you have a family with a history of breast cancer, you are more at risk.  If your mother or sister has been treated for breast cancer, it increases that risk.  This risk is doubled regardless of whether it is on your father’s or your mother’s side.

If you have had cancer in one breast, it puts you more at risk for developing cancer in the other breast.  If you have had chest radiation earlier in your life, you are more at risk for developing breast cancer. 

A drug prescribed for pregnant women to lower the chances of miscarriage may also increase your risk of developing breast cancer.  The drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) is prescribed for women in danger of miscarriage but also may increase their risk of cancer. 

Caucasian women have more risk of developing breast cancer than African-American, but African-American women are more at risk of dying of the disease.  Asians, Hispanics, or American Indians have a lower risk factor than Caucasian women.

The start and end of your menstrual cycle are factors you can’t control, but have an influence on your chances of developing breast cancer.  If you started periods before you were 12 years old, or began menopause after the age of 55, you have a slightly higher risk of breast cancer. 

Risk Factors You Can Control

The list of risk factors you can’t control may seem enormous; there are factors you can control.  Keeping your weight under control, eating healthy, and getting the proper exercise can help you remain cancer free.  Take care of your body, be aware of your rhythms and cycles, and exercise regularly, this will reduce the chances of you developing breast cancer.  You can control some risk factors and it is important for you to do that.  Don’t fret about the ones you can’t control.  Listen to your body, be aware of any unusual changes, and know what is normal for you.  Keeping your body as healthy as possible will decrease your risk of developing breast cancer, and increase your survival chances if breast cancer is diagnosed.