Are you at risk for breast cancer?

While some of the risk factors are known, as many as 75 percent of women who get breast cancer do not have any of these risk factors. The bottom line is any woman is at risk. Breast cancer continues to be the most common cancer affecting women in the United States, with about 300,000 new cases diagnosed yearly. Approximately one in eight women will eventually develop the disease.

While the causes for the disease are not completely understood at this time, some risk factors are known.

These risk factors include:

• A close relative who has had breast cancer doubles risk of developing the disease.
• Two or more close relatives who had breast cancer triples your risk.
• Hereditary genetic mutations, such as BRCA1 and BCRA2 are believed to contribute to the risk of breast cancer development.

• Alcohol consumption – Women who have 2-3 drinks per day have around a 20% higher risk of getting cancer than non-drinkers.
• Obesity – Being overweight after menopause may increase your risk of cancer.
• Lack of exercise – Regular physical activity can help reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially in older women who have undergone menopause.
• Not having children – Women who have never had kids, or who had their first child after age 30 have a slighter higher risk of getting breast cancer.

• Not breastfeeding – Studies have shown that breastfeeding your baby may slightly reduce the risk of breast cancer.
• Using birth control – Birth control methods using hormones may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer.
• Hormone therapy after menopause – The use of combined hormone therapies after menopause can increase breast cancer risk, typically after 4 years of use.