WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR BREAST CANCER?

Having breast cancer, and especially receiving treatment for the disease, can have long-term effects on your body and mind in the form of increased risks for other medical conditions. Your doctor will keep an eye on the following, in particular.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors You Can’t Change

Here's a list of risk factors for breast cancer that you cannot change, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Age:

The risk for breast cancer increases as you grow older. While young women can develop breast cancer, most cases are diagnosed in women over 50.

Your genes:

Having mutations (alterations in DNA) in certain genes inherited from your parents (notably the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes) increases the risk for breast cancer, as well as ovarian cancer.

Your reproductive history:

If you had your first menstrual period prior to age 12 or began menopause after age 55, your risk is increased.

Dense breasts:

A breast is considered dense if it has a lot of connective tissue. That doesn't cause cancer, but it can make tumors harder to detect with mammograms.

Previous breast cancer or non-cancerous condition:

If you have had breast cancer, your risk for a second bout with the disease is increased. The same is true if you have been diagnosed with certain non-cancerous breast diseases, such as atypical hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ.

Family history:

Your risk rises if you have a close blood relative—such as your mother, sister, or daughter—who had breast cancer; if more than one family member on either your mother's or father's side had breast or ovarian cancer; or you have a close male relative (father, brother, or son) who had breast cancer.

Prior treatment with radiation therapy:

Radiation treatment is a critical tool in treating many forms of cancer, but in some cases it may increase the risk for breast cancer later in life.

Exposure to DES:

The drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) was used to prevent miscarriage in pregnant women in the United States between 1940 and 1971. Unfortunately, DES increased the risk for breast cancer in these women and their daughters.