Breast Cancer In The Family

Concerned about your risk? Health Writer Colleen Shannon hears from Breast Cancer Care.

IF you’ve seen someone in your family go through breast cancer, it probably affected you deeply. And you can’t help but wonder whether you could also be diagnosed with breast cancer one day.

It’s important to know the facts, because a family history of breast cancer does not always mean your own risk is higher. And if this does happen, there are options to try to stop breast cancer from developing.

To learn more, I spoke to Rachel Rawson, Senior Clinical Nurse Specialist at Breast Cancer Care.

She explained that breast cancer is very common, affecting one in eight UK women. That means most of us are likely to know someone who has been affected.

The top three factors that are linked to breast cancer are your sex (men can get breast cancer, too, but it’s usually women), age, and family history.

Age has a lot to do with it. In fact, 80 in 100 women with breast cancer (80%) are over the age of fifty.

However, most breast cancers are not inherited. Family history plays a role for just five in 100 women (5%) with breast cancer.

Two main genes have been linked to breast cancer, called BRCA1 and BRCA2. Everyone has these genes, but sometimes faulty copies are inherited.

A person at high risk will usually have several close relatives (on either the mother’s or the father’s side) diagnosed with breast cancer, ovarian cancer or both, often at a young age. The pattern may go across several generations.

Speak to your GP if you are worried (or to your specialist team if you’ve had a diagnosis of breast cancer). If needed, they can refer you to a specialist family history clinic or a regional genetics centre.

These specialists can assess your risk in more detail, and tell you about options such as breast screening and risk-reducing treatments. They might offer genetic counselling and genetic testing.

Every woman, however, should know the signs and symptoms of breast cancer. There’s no right or wrong way to check your breasts. Look and feel regularly, so it’s easier to recognise any unusual changes.

Most symptoms will not be cancer, but if you spot something make an appointment with your GP and get it checked. It might be a lump, but also look out for anything that is different and new, like changes in your nipple or the texture of the skin.

The NHS has a breast-screening programme, which is related to your age. The invitations are sent out routinely. If you don’t get one but you still want a screening test, you can ask your GP to refer you. Don’t assume you are too old.

You can also contact Breast Cancer Care with any questions or worries about this condition. Visit their website at www.breastcancercare.org.uk to find out more or call their helpline on 0808 800 6000 for information and support. n