The risk factors for breast cancer can be separated into two large groups, those risk factors that we cannot change and those risk factors that we can change. Using the Serenity Prayer as our guide, we separate the two groups and work to find the courage to change the things we can, to reduce the risk of breast cancer as much as possible.
Some of the things we cannot change are:
Our sex: being female is a risk factor for breast cancer.
Our age: as we get older, our risk of breast cancer increases.
Our family history: the genetic inheritance we receive from our parents potentially impacts the risk of getting breast cancer. Some genes (like BRCA1 and BRCA2) are known to specifically increase the risk of breast cancer in women who carry these mutations.
The age at menarche and the age of menopause: the longer a woman experiences menstrual cycles the more exposure she has to her own endogenous female sex hormones, hormones known to contribute to the growth of breast cancer cells.
Where we live: Japanese women have a much lower risk of breast cancer than women who live in America or Europe. Unknown environmental factors are suspected of increasing the risk of breast cancer in certain geographic locations, with Western countries having the highest risk overall.
Some of the things we can change are:
Tobacco: cigarette smoking is known to increase the risk of breast cancer.
Alcohol: drinking is known to increase the risk of breast cancer.
Oral Contraceptives: birth control pills are known to increase the risk of breast cancer, especially when used prior to a first full-term pregnancy.
Hormone Replacement Therapy: this medication, taken after menopause, is known to increase the risk of breast cancer.
Diet: obesity, especially after menopause, is known to increase the risk of breast cancer.
Exercise: sedentary lifestyle is known to increase the risk of breast cancer
For more information about these risk factors and what you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer, we recommend visiting some of the other interesting and informative websites listed on our Resources & Links page.
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