October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Statistics show that 1 in every 8 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
Just as we do with any other health condition, it’s important to talk about risk factors – anything that elevates a person’s chance of being diagnosed. Some risk factors are beyond our control – meaning we’re born with them. Others are more lifestyle based, which are things we can modify.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors for Breast Cancer
- Gender – Breast cancer is more common in females than males
- Age – Risk increases as you get older
- Genes – Certain genetic mutations can cause breast cancer, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2
- Family history – Close blood relatives who have been diagnosed
- Ethnicity – Risk may vary depending on race
- Reproductive health – Early menstrual periods (before age 12) and beginning menopause later (after age 55)
- Having dense breast tissue
- Personal history of breast cancer or non-cancerous breast diseases
- Previous medical treatment using radiation therapy
Lifestyle Changes That Impact Breast Cancer Risk
Fortunately, certain lifestyle factors can be modified to reduce breast cancer risk.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Exercise regularly and talk to your doctor if you feel like your body weight could be increasing your risk for breast cancer and other diseases.
- Limit alcohol and tobacco use. Both substances have been shown to up your risk factors, as well as negatively impacting your overall health.
- Breastfeeding. Though it’s still being studied, some data shows that breastfeeding for longer periods of time slightly lowers an individual’s risk for breast cancer.
- Adjusting hormone therapy. Some hormone replacement therapy (including estrogen and progesterone) used during menopause can raise risk for breast cancer when taken for more than five years. Certain birth control pills were also found to raise breast cancer risk.
- Get yearly mammograms. When women reach the age of 40, they should begin scheduling routine mammograms every year.
What to Do Next
It’s important to note that having a risk factor or a combination of risk factors does not guarantee you will get the disease. Likewise, not having any risk factors does not mean you have no chance of ever being diagnosed with breast cancer in your lifetime either. If you have multiple risk factors for breast cancer, talk with your primary care physician or OB/GYN about ways to screen for breast cancer and steps you can take to lower your risk of developing this disease.
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