Your health

GP DR ROSEMARY LEONARD MARKS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH BY EXPLAINING YOUR RISK

5-10% OF ALL CASES OF BREAST CANCER ARE DUE TO A FAULTY GENE, SUCH AS BRCA1 AND 2, AND RESEARCH IS ONGOING INTO OTHER GENES. ETHNICITY IS ALSO IMPORTANT. FAULTY GENES ARE MORE COMMON AMONG ASHKENAZI JEWISH FAMILIES.

MORE THAN 55,000 WOMEN ARE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER EVERY YEAR IN THE UK – THAT’S 150 CASES A DAY. THOUGH A FEW (AROUND 390 CASES) OCCUR IN MEN, THE VAST MAJORITY OF CASES ARE IN WOMEN, AND ONE IN EIGHT WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AT SOME TIME IN THEIR LIFE. SO IT’S NOT SURPRISING I AM OFTEN ASKED ABOUT INCREASED RISK OF BREAST CANCER FOLLOWING A RELATIVE’S DIAGNOSIS. THE FIRST STEP IS TO DISCOVER YOUR FAMILY HISTORY. RESEARCH FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES’ HEALTH, BUT ALSO THE INCIDENCE AMONG GRANDPARENTS, UNCLES, NIECES AND NEPHEWS. AGE OF DIAGNOSIS IS ALSO IMPORTANT. SEE YOUR GP TO DISCUSS YOUR RISK IF

YOU HAVE:

THREE CLOSE RELATIVES FROM THE SAME SIDE OF THE FAMILY DIAGNOSED AT ANY AGE.

TWO CLOSE RELATIVES FROM THE SAME SIDE OF THE FAMILY DIAGNOSED BEFORE

THE AGE OF 60.

A MOTHER OR SISTER DIAGNOSED

BEFORE THE AGE OF 40.

A FATHER OR BROTHER WITH BREAST

CANCER DIAGNOSED UNDER 60.

ONE CLOSE RELATIVE WITH BILATERAL BREAST CANCER, WITH THE FIRST CANCER DIAGNOSED UNDER 50.