Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in women. In about 80 percent of new cases, the disease is detected at the early stage of cancer, and about 20 percent at the time of diagnosis is already at an advanced stage.
Unfortunately, the reason that tells the cell to 'hijack' control is still unknown. Some breast tumors (5 to 10 percent) are caused by gene damage and some by external factors. That's why researchers are trying to see what are the things that can change that can't change.
With some risk factors, one is born, while much can be done about others. But the fact is that someone may have multiple risk factors at one time and will not have cancer, and on the other hand it is possible to get this disease even if you do not have any risk factor.
1. Although cases of breast cancer in men are reported, in 98 percent of cases it is a woman's disease. The fact that you are a woman cannot be changed. We know that breast cancer triggers a hormone disruption, and it needs estrogen to develop it. Therefore, the biggest risk for this disease is that you are a woman.
2. Aging is the second consistent risk factor. And the risk of breast cancer increases with age. Most cancers are found in women over 55 years of age.
3. Genetic inheritance is a third factor that cannot be influenced. Specifically, between five and 10 percent of breast cancer cases are hereditary diseases, more specifically the mutation of the gene passed on to the child by the parents. More specifically, if you have an inherited mutation on the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, these are the most common cases of hereditary breast cancer.
4. The American Cancer Society points out that eight to 10 women with breast cancer have not had the case in the family. However, if a relative in the first knee had the disease, which relates to a mother, sister or daughter, the chance of developing the disease doubles.
However, if you had two patients in a close family, the chance of you getting cancer is also three times higher. About 15 percent of the women with the disease had family cases.
5. If you have already had cancer in one breast, there is a high risk that it will develop in another breast or even another part of the same breast (which has been preserved since previous cancer was detected and operated at an early stage. A higher risk is in younger women .
6. And race is an invariable risk factor. Caucasians are more prone to developing breast cancer than African-Americans, but on the other hand, African-Americans are more likely to develop at the age of 45 and more deadly. Asian, Hispanic and Native American women are at a lower risk of death.
7. The breast is composed of fibrous tissue, adipose tissue and glandular tissue. Your doctor may tell you that your breasts are thick if your mammogram shows that you have more glandular than fibrous tissue with less adipose tissue.
In such a population of women, the likelihood of developing cancer is up to twice as high as in women with average breast tissue density, according to the American Cancer Society.
8. If a woman received her first menstrual period before the age of 12, it means that she will have more menstrual cycles throughout her life and will therefore be more exposed to estrogen and progesterone. They raise the risk of breast cancer.
9. On the other hand, if a woman entered menopause after the age of 55, it means that she had multiple cycles and thus had a longer period of exposure to progesterone and estrogen.
10. Alcohol - Even just a few drinks a week have been linked by numerous scientific studies to the increased risk of breast cancer in women. The American Cancer Society says that women who drink two or three alcoholic drinks a day have a 20 percent higher risk of cancer than women who do not drink alcohol.
Alcohol in the body raises estrogen levels, so this is thought to be a cause of increased risk.
11. Obesity - It is a risk factor for the development of many diseases, especially in postmenopausal women. Here's why: Most estrogens in the body are created by the ovaries, but when they stop working, most hormones come from fat.
Too much fat increases estrogen levels and thus increases the risk of developing the disease. Also, overweight women often have high levels of insulin in their blood, which experts also associate with cancer. The closer a woman is to her ideal body weight, the lower her risk of getting cancer.
12. Lack of Physical Activity - There is increasing evidence that regular physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer, especially in menopausal women. Although it is not clear how much of this activity is sufficient, some studies claim that even a few hours of exercise per week is sufficient.
13. Late birth - An increased risk of developing breast cancer is also seen in women who have never given birth or have given birth at a later age, after the age of 30.
14. Taking hormonal contraceptives - Experts have proven that taking oral contraceptives can increase the risk of developing breast cancer.
15. Postmenopausal hormone therapy - This is estrogen and progesterone therapy
