Breast cancer risk factors

There are a number of potential risk factors for breast cancer.

Research from 2017 notes that the main risk factors for breast cancer are sex and age. In 2016, about 99% of all breast cancer-associated deaths in the U.S. were in women over the age of 40 years, and about 71% were in women over the age of 60 years.

However, an individual’s personal risk is a combination of many factors. No single risk factor or group of risk factors will mean that a person develops cancer. Additionally, some people may also get breast cancer without having any typical risk factors.

Some risk factors for breast cancer can include:

increasing age
reproductive history
personal history of breast cancer or some breast-related conditions
inherited genetic mutations
family history of breast or ovarian cancer or disease
dense breast tissue
previous radiation therapy
some drugs, such as diethylstilbestrol, which was a drug that pregnant people used to prevent miscarriage between 1940 and 1971

Lifestyle factors: Some modifiable lifestyle factors may increase the risk of breast cancer in some cases, such as:

overweight or obesity after menopause
sedentarism
reproductive history
alcohol use
hormone use, such as hormone therapy or some types of birth control pills

Managing these factors, however possible, may help reduce the risk of breast cancer. It is advisable to speak with a doctor about personal risk factors and screening for breast cancer in each case.

Early signs and symptoms of breast cancer can vary widely. Some people may have no signs or symptoms at all, and doctors may discover the cancer during a routine screening.

If early signs and symptoms do appear, they may include: