My Breakthrough
What are the risk factors?
At the moment we don't have enough information or the means to prevent breast cancer. However, our growing knowledge of breast cancer risk factors means that we may be able to reduce the risk of developing the disease.
Breast cancer is thought to be caused by a combination of our genes, lifestyle and environment, however very little is known about the exact causes. A risk factor for breast cancer is something that may alter your likelihood of developing the disease.
Having one or more risk factors does not necessarily mean that you will get breast cancer - it means that the chances of you developing the disease are greater or smaller.
To help you better understand more about those breast cancer risk factors that have been identified so far they have been separated into three groups:
Understanding risk factors
We are learning more about the risk factors for breast cancer - the things that may alter your chances of getting the disease. But it is important to realise that risk factors themselves don't necessarily cause breast cancer.Even when a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer has a risk factor there is no way to prove that it was the actual reason for her cancer. Many of the established lifestyle risk factors mentioned in this booklet are linked with only a small increase or decrease in breast cancer risk and you cannot influence a lot of these, such as your height or when you started your periods.
It is also worth noting that there is not always a clear cut-off point when it comes to having or not having many of the established risk factors.
For example, we have said that women who start their periods before the age of 12 or go through the menopause after the age of 55 have an increased risk of breast cancer. But this doesn't mean that your risk of breast cancer will suddenly shoot up if you enter the menopause at 55 - rather there will be a gradual increase in risk the later you enter the menopause from about the age of 55.
This gradual change in risk applies to other risk factors that we discuss - such as height, age and pregnancy.
Weighing up the benefits and costs of making a change
The benefits of making lifestyle changes are the helpful effects that happen as a result of these changes, such as potentially lowering your risk of breast cancer or other diseases.The costs of making changes are the chances that something unwanted or unexpected could happen to you because of the differences you have made.
For example, taking the contraceptive pill may slightly increase your risk of breast cancer. However, the Pill is very effective at preventing pregnancy, and has been shown to have other benefits, such as reducing the risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer. So, if you are considering making lifestyle changes you should think about the costs and benefits on all aspects of your health and quality of life and not just on your breast cancer risk.
The decision about whether to make any changes can be difficult. The best choice for you depends on your personal situation. Every choice involves thinking through the helpful effects as well as the possible unwanted effects.
You should talk about any changes you decide to make with your doctor. You must decide together which benefits and costs are most important to you.
HORMONES AND BREAST CANCER RISK
We don’t know exactly how some risk factors affect the risk of developing breast cancer. It is thought that the majority of the risk factors for breast cancer are related to the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. These are essential for normal sexual development, the functioning of female reproductive organs and also help to maintain healthy bones and heart.A woman’s lifetime exposure to these hormones is thought to influence her chance of developing breast cancer. However, breast cancer is probably caused by a combination of hormonal, genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors.
Also within "Breast awareness & risk factors"
Further information
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