Breast Disease  Breast Cancer
Risk Factors
The exact causes of breast cancer are not known.
Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor.
Some of the risk factors for breast cancer are:
Age
The risk of breast cancer increases as a woman (or man) gets older.
Most breast cancers occur in women over age 50, and the risk is especially high for women over age 60.
Personal History
Women who have had breast cancer face an increased risk of getting breast cancer in their other breast or a new cancer in the same breast.
Family History
A woman's risk for developing breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, or daughter (or members of father's side of the family) had breast cancer, especially at a young age.
The risk of an individual is directly proportional to the following factors:
- the number of relatives with a history of breast cancer
- how closely related the relatives are (sister or mother versus aunt or grandmother)
- the age of diagnosis of the relative(s) (pre vs post menauposal)
- whether the relative(s) had cancer in one or both breasts
- whether there is an associated history of ovarian breast cancer in the same family or a history of a male breast cancer.
Reproductive Factors
The risk of breast cancer is somewhat increased among women who began menstruation at an early age (before age 12), experienced menopause late (after age 55), never had children, had their first child after age 30, or took Hormone Replacement Therapy for long periods of time.
Genetic Alterations
Changes in certain genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, and others) increase the risk of breast cancer.
In families in which many women have had the disease, genetic testing can sometimes detect the presence of specific genetic changes that may increase the risk of breast cancer (and/or ovarian cancer).
Certain Breast Changes
Having a diagnosis of atypical hyperplasia or lobular neoplasia, found on breast biopsy, may increase a woman's risk for developing breast cancer.
Radiation Therapy
Women whose breasts were exposed to radiation during radiation therapy before age 30, especially those who were treated for Hodgkin's disease, are at increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Alcohol
Some studies suggest a slightly higher risk of breast cancer among women who drink alcohol.
It seems that patients who consume on the average more than 1 alcoholic beverage per day carry a higher risk of developing breast cancer when compared to non-drinkers.
Obesity
Being overweight is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer for pre and post-menopausal women.
Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia (ADH)
Atypical (precancerous) cells present in the milk ducts of one or both breasts may indicate an increased risk of developing cancer.
Women determined to be at high risk, including those with a prior history of breast cancer, a mother, daughter or sister or two close relatives with breast cancer, a history of two or more benign breast biopsies or a positive test for the BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutation may be advised to undergo a Ductal Lavage to screen for ADH.
| 
