Breast cancer is a disease that affects around 300,000 women in the United States every year. Originally, many thought that breast cancer was unpreventable.  However, recent studies suggest that the probability of suffering from this type of cancer can be reduced by adopting certain activities into the person’s daily life, such as exercising, avoiding obesity (especially after menopause), and refraining from excess drinking.

Epidemiological studies have also shown that hormone treatments during menopause are associated with a sharp increase in the risk of suffering from breast cancer. Also, the reduction of the number of women who take these treatments has coincided with a proportional decrease in new cases of breast cancer. For this reason, it is highly recommended to avoid getting hormone therapy after menopause has started.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that could increase the probability of developing a disease, like cancer.

Every type of tumor has several known risk factors, which vary from cancer to cancer. Nevertheless, the presence or absence of risks factors doesn’t necessarily mean that the disease will or won’t manifest. In some cases, some individuals with many risk factors live their lives peacefully, while others with no apparent risk factors develop breast cancer. In this sense, having risk factors doesn’t mean that the person will have cancer at some point in their lives, it just suggests a certain predisposition for the disease.

The medical community has pinpointed several risk factors that could contribute to the onset of breast cancer. Some of these factors are more important than others and can vary through time. Nevertheless, keep in mind that, in 50% of breast cancer cases, there are no obvious risk factors:

• Gender: The single most significant risk factor for breast cancer is gender. Women are 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer than their male counterparts.
• Age: The risk of developing breast cancer increases with age. Around 18% of cases are diagnosed in women over 40 years of age. Meanwhile, over 77% of cases are diagnosed in women beyond the age of 50. This risk tapers down beyond the age of 75.
• Ethnicity: For unknown reasons, Caucasian women are more likely to suffer from breast cancer, when compared to African and Asian individuals.
• Inheritance: Genetic inheritance plays a pivotal role in cancer onset. Individuals with one or two first-grade relatives (parents, siblings, offspring), or second-grade relatives (aunts, grandmothers) carry a higher risk of developing breast cancer. This risk is increased further if one of these relatives has suffered from both breast and ovarian cancer simultaneously.
• Benign Breast Disease: All benign diseases that lead to an increase in cell production have an inherent risk of contributing to cancer development. Those who have suffered from any of these conditions are 4 to 6 times more likely to suffer from breast cancer.
• Internal Hormonal Factors: Prolonged exposure to estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer. The production of this hormone is modulated by ovarian function: menarche, pregnancy, and menopause. After the menopause, the primary source of estrogen comes from the suprarenal gland via the modification of the fatty tissue of the hormone that is typically produced by this gland to transform it into estrogen. In this sense, it is estimated that:
  • The risk increases when:
    • Menarche before 12 years of age.
    • Menopause after the age of 55.
  • The risk decreases when:
    • Menarche after the age of 12.
    • Menopause after 55 years of age.

Breast Cancer Prevention

Despite most risk factors being associated with unmodifiable characteristics, there are some actions that anyone can perform to reduce their risk of suffering from this disease.

• Limit alcohol intake: Cancer is a disease that thrives on inflammation, as this reaction promotes the production of new cells which, in turn, increases the risk of cancer. In this sense, the general recommendation is to limit yourself to 1 drink a day.
• Avoid obesity: Obesity, especially after menopause, is associated with a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
• Breastfeed for as long as possible: Recent research suggests that the act of breastfeeding could be associated with a lower risk of suffering from breast cancer. Furthermore, the longer this process lasts, the longer the protective effect will be.
• Refrain from hormone therapy: Hormone treatments, especially those performed during menopause are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Though the real dangers start to show in those who have undergone these treatments for three to five years, the risk becomes present since day one. If you’re undergoing hormone therapy, consult with your doctor for alternative therapies that don’t rely on hormones. However, if you still wish to follow through, try to adhere to the lowest doses of hormones possible to reduce the risk of breast cancer.

The most important part of breast cancer prevention is constant vigilance. Noticing any lumps or deformities in your breasts is the best way to detect this disease in its early phases, where the risk for a fatal outcome is at its lowest. For this reason, make sure to visit your doctor at least once a year so they an run all the necessary tests, such as mammograms and other screening procedures.