Knowledge is power. By assessing your risk for breast cancer, you can determine if you need to take extra precautions to ensure you detect breast cancer early.
Knowing Your Risk
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), risk factors for breast cancer include:
- Older age – Most invasive breast cancers are found in women age 55 or older.
- Family history – Women whose mother, sister or daughter had breast cancer are at higher risk themselves.
- Women who have mutated forms of some genes have a higher risk for breast cancer.
- History of breast cancer – Women who have had cancer in one breast are more likely to develop cancer in the other breast.
- Caucasian women are more likely than women of other races to develop breast cancer.
- Past radiation treatment – Women who have had radiation therapy to the chest are at higher risk for breast cancer.
- Age of first and last period – Women who started menstruating before age 12, or stopped menstruating after age 55, are at higher risk for breast cancer.
- Past pregnancies – In general, women who have no biological children or did not bear children until after age 30 have a higher risk for breast cancer.
- DES (diethylstilbestrol) – Women who were given this drug during pregnancy have a higher risk for breast cancer.
- Medicines with hormones – Birth control pills and hormone therapy after menopause have both been linked to increased breast cancer risk.
- As little as one alcoholic drink a day can raise a woman’s breast cancer risk.
- An inactive lifestyle – Women who get regular exercise are less likely to develop breast cancer.
- Obesity and being overweight – Women who are overweight or obese after menopause are more likely to develop breast cancer than those who maintain a healthy weight.
Breast cancer that’s found early, when it’s small and has not spread, is easier to treat successfully. Getting regular screening tests is the most reliable way to find breast cancer early.
Mammograms
Regular mammograms can help find breast cancer at an early stage, when treatment is most successful, states the ACS. A mammogram can find breast changes that could be cancer years before physical symptoms develop. A mammogram is an X-ray of the breast tissue that can detect cancer in its earliest stages. A mammography machine takes X-rays at lower doses than usual X-rays.
During the exam, the breast is placed between two mammogram plates and flattened while the machine takes a high-quality picture of the tissue. If any masses or changes are identified in the breast, further tests are done to determine if they are caused by breast cancer or another condition.
Go to the same mammogram clinic each year to ensure your current mammogram can easily be compared to images from previous years.
Women should get a yearly mammogram beginning at age 40.
Baptist Health partners with thousands of women every year in their fight against breast cancer, and we know an early diagnosis often plays an important role in defeating the disease. If you’re due for a breast exam, request an appointment with one of our women’s physicians, or if you’re over 40, request a mammography appointment.