More than ever before, women are taking an active part in their
breast health. At the center of this change is our growing concern and
understanding of breast cancer, the second most common form of cancer among
women in the United States.
What is breast cancer?
Cells in the body normally divide (reproduce) only when new
cells are needed. Sometimes cells will divide for no reason, creating a mass of
tissue called a tumor. Tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant
(cancerous).
In breast cancer, as well as in some other cancers, a tissue
cell becomes abnormal and reproduces without control or order, forming a
malignant tumor. Cancer cells can break off from the tumor, travel to other
parts of the body, and form new tumors. This process is called metastasis.
Metastasis is a late stage of cancer.
Am I at risk for developing breast cancer?
If you are a woman, you are at risk. (Men can also develop
breast cancer, but this is rare.) You may be more likely to develop breast
cancer if you have one or more risk factors, but risk factors do not cause
breast cancer. However, not having a risk factor does not mean that you will not
get breast cancer.
In many cases, it's not known why a woman develops breast
cancer. In fact, 70% of all women with breast cancer have no known risk factor.
What are the risk factors of breast cancer?
A risk factor is anything that increases a person’s chance of
getting a disease. Different cancers have different risk factors.
Significantly higher risk
History of previous cancer in one breast, especially if it
occurred before menopause, increases a woman’s risk of developing a new breast
cancer unrelated to the first one. This is different than a recurrence of the
previous breast cancer.
Genetics also plays a role. Carriers of either of two familial
breast cancer genes called BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at higher risk. Ten percent of
women are carriers of these genes. Also, 10% of all breast cancers are thought
to be from either gene. In addition, the risk of getting breast cancer is up to
85% in a woman’s lifetime if she has inherited these genes.
Moderately higher risk
- Getting older. Your risk for breast cancer increases as you age.
About 77% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 50,
and almost half are age 65 and older. Consider this: In women 40 to 49 years
of age, there is a one in 66 risk of developing breast cancer. In the 50 to
59 age group, that risk increases to one in 40.
- Direct family history. Having a mother, sister, or daughter (a
"first-degree relative") who has breast cancer puts you at higher risk for
the disease. The risk is even greater if your relative developed breast
cancer before menopause and had cancer in both breasts. Having one
first-degree relative with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman’s
risk. Having two first-degree relatives with breast cancer increases her
risk five-fold. Having a male blood relative with breast cancer may also
increase a woman’s risk of the disease.
- Breast lesions. These include multiple papillomatosis, atypical
ductal hyperplasia, and lobular carcinoma in situ.