Breast Cancer Articles

Breast Cancer -- Can I become a statistic?

By Lisa Curcio, M.D.
Today's Woman of South Orange County

The numbers are not exaggerated; one in seven women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The next time you are in a public setting look around because there will be at least 8-10 people with the diagnosis of breast cancer right there before you. And most likely there are others walking around who are at high risk because of personal or family history factors.

That being said is there anything a woman can do to reduce those risks and what actually places a person at risk for developing breast cancer?

The first and foremost risk for breast cancer is just the fact that you are a woman. Although there is male breast cancer, this is a small percentage compared to the incidence of breast cancer in women. Having a family history of breast or ovarian cancer may place one at increased risk.

The greatest risk factors are:

• If the relatives that had breast cancer are 1st degree ( mother, sister) or second degree ( grandmother, aunt)
• Having relatives diagnosed at ages earlier than 50 years old
• If the breast cancer was bilateral ( on both sides)

It should be noted that a women who is related to someone with male breast cancer may also be at increased risk. It’s a little known fact that risk can be transmitted from both your maternal relatives as well as your paternal relatives.
It becomes a very important part of your health to know the history of your immediate family members, especially members of your family that died at early ages. Sometimes it takes a little probing and often people do not wish to speak about the cause of the death, but it is very important for future generations.

Other risk factors include:
Having your first child after the age of 30 years. There is some increased risk for breast cancer if the breast is first exposed to the hormones of pregnancy after the age of 30.

Initially, it was thought that women who never have children were at the highest risk but studies have shown that the risk is actually higher if one has their first child after 30 years old.

• Your menstrual history can affect your risks. The earlier one’s periods start and the later they end leave the breast exposed to hormone changes for longer periods of time. So women who have later periods and earlier menopause are actually at a reduced risk for breast cancer.
• Hormone exposure that may increase the risk for breast cancer includes prolonged use of birth control, hormone replacement or fertility drugs.
• Having had prior breast biopsies increases the risk of breast cancer, especially if any atypical cells were found. It is not that the biopsy itself causes the cancer but the lump or x-ray changes that prompted the biopsy may increase the risks.

Although many of these risk factors can’t be changed, there are certain proactive things everyone can do to reduce our risks everyday.

Things you can do to decrease your breast cancer risk factors include:

1. Leading a healthy lifestyle.
2. Avoiding excesses of alcohol and tobacco (although no amount of tobacco is healthy).
3. Eating well with a low fat diet and avoiding excesses of red meats or processed foods.
4. Adopting an active lifestyle that involves regular aerobic exercise.

For those women that have identified themselves as having one or more of the risk factors I’ve discussed, it is imperative that you are proactive in assessing your risk factors, managing your health status and be regularly seen by a breast care specialist that can coordinate and follow your care. As a high risk patient, your breast care specialist can access your actual risk, counsel you and offer interventions that may help reduce your risks.

Knowledge is power and knowing you’re at increased risk does not mean that you will absolutely develop breast cancer; it just means you have to acquire the tools to be more proactive in your breast health. 

Visit"Advanced Breast Care Specialists of Orange County"  in Mission Viejo, California.