Although we do not know the exact ‘cause’ of breast cancer, and therefore cannot prevent it, we do know that there are factors associated with an increased chance of getting the disease. The major risk factors are:
Being female
A personal history of having already had a breast cancer
Age over fifty
Having a first degree relative (your mother, sister or daughter) with a history of breast cancer
Being a carrier of a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation
There are other factors that are also associated with an increased risk, but their effect is much less important than the major risk factors. These are:
Early menarche (age at 1st menstrual period)
Post-menopausal hormone replacement
History of chest wall radiation treatment
Lifestyle factors
Obesity
Lack of physical activity
Alcohol use
No children
1st child after age 30
While many of these factors cannot be changed, there are lifestyle changes that you can make to keep your risk as low as possible. These include maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising on a regular basis, avoiding post-menopausal hormone replacement, and drinking alcohol moderately, if at all.
