Breast Cancer Screening

What are the risk factors for breast cancer?

The number one risk factor for breast cancer is simply age. Approximately 80% of cases happen in women over 50 and most cases of breast cancer occur among women in their 60s and 70s. Why?

Cancers develop when specific genes in a cell are damaged. These are generally genes that affect cell growth and division—called oncogenes, or cancer genes. Tumors form when oncogenes become damaged or mutated, and a specific cell begins to divide and grow uncontrollably. Sometimes, the body will recognize an early stage cancer and eradicate it. Other times, the body will not. As you age, the likelihood of genetic damage increases: genetic damage builds up over your lifetime. Also, the older you are, the less vigilant your body is about catching early stage cancers. Hence, as you age, your odds for developing cancer increase.

Cancer is largely a game of chance: the longer you live, the greater your odds are for developing cancer.

Some risk factors such as your age and your family history cannot be changed. However, you can choose to control other risk factors such as mid-life weight gain, the servings of vegetables you eat, and the preparation of meat.