With studies pointing out an alarming one out of every nine women affected by breast cancer, it is very important that women should be more aware and cautious about this lethal disease. Along with lifestyle issues, there are many environmental factors also that contribute to your chances of developing breast cancer.
Whatever makes you prone to get breast cancer is a breast cancer risk. You may have several risk factors on your side but that does not mean that you will definitely develop breast cancer. There are many women who develop breast cancer even without any risk factors.
However, it is important for every woman to have some knowledge about these factors and also to know which of these are more severe and must be avoided.
1) Family History and Genetics
If women in your first-degree relations, like your mother or sister, have been diagnosed with breast cancer, there is double the risk that you might also develop breast cancer.
There are also chances that some gene mutations, which up the risk of breast cancer, are passed on from parents to their children, increasing their risk of developing a cancer. Women who have inherited genes like BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 have a higher risk of breast cancer.
2) Obesity
Being obese increases the chances of getting any type of cancer, and that includes breast cancer. Studies conducted by Cancer Research UK show that the risk of breast cancer increases as a woman gains more weight in adult life. After menopause, fat deposits could increase the level of estrogen which is possibly responsible for higher breast cancer risk.
3) Beginning of Periods at a Young Age
If you had your first period before you turned twelve, your risk of developing breast cancer may increase. This is because your number of menstrual cycles goes up, increasing your exposure to estrogen and progesterone. For the same reason, having menopause at a very later stage can increase your chances of getting breast cancer.
4) Pregnancies
Compared to women who have had one or more pregnancies, women who have never been pregnant are at a greater risk of developing breast cancer. Also women who breastfeed their children can reduce their risk of breast cancer considerably as more breastfeeding means fewer menstrual cycles, which reduces a woman’s exposure to estrogen and progesterone.
5) Hormone Therapy
Some women take hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms. These medications contain estrogen and progesterone combinations. These are also responsible for increasing the risk of breast cancer. Dr. Jodie Moffat, Health Information Manager, Cancer Research UK, points out that hormone therapy that consists of only estrogen is slightly less risky than the combined therapy.
If you are on hormone therapy for a short period, it may not pose a serious threat but long duration therapy can increase the risk. Not only that, even after stopping therapy, you need a good five years to eliminate the risk.
6) Alcohol and Smoking
Consuming alcohol can also be a possible factor for increased breast cancer risk. According to Dr. Moffat, there are many studies which point out that alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer and the risk increases with higher alcohol consumption.
Similarly, smoking can be related to higher cancer risk, and that includes breast cancer. Whether mainstream or secondhand, tobacco smoke is laden with harmful chemicals which can reach the breast tissue and even breast milk.
7) Contraceptive Pill
The pill, taken commonly by many women, contains estrogen as well as progesterone, and could increase their risk of breast cancer greatly. Studies also point out that the pill reduces the risk of ovarian and womb cancers and even after stopping it, the effect carries on for nearly fifteen years. Though the natural risk is very low at a young age, when most women are found taking the pill, it does increase the risk of breast cancer.
Though a single factor cannot be conclusively considered as the one that raises your breast cancer risk, there might be a combination of some factors which might be the root of this disease. It is important to be aware of these risk factors and make lifestyle changes accordingly.
Author Bio: Sameer Gupta is a medical writer who writes well-researched, in-depth cancer articles which provide relevant information to help patients combat the deadly disease.