Breast Risk..

Risk

Breast cancer is the most common cancer found in women. Although the exact causes are unknown, there are known risk factors that can influence the development of breast cancer.

The lifetime risk of developing breast cancer is one in nine by the age of 85 and one risk factor is increasing age; 80 per cent of all breast cancer occurs in women over the age of 50. The older the woman, the higher the risk.

Because we are all different, any of the known associated risk factors will not affect us all in the same way. Identifying the cause of breast cancer to one specific risk factor is not possible for most people, unless they have been shown to have an increased risk factor, for example, such as carrying one of the BRCA genes.
What is risk?

Risk measures the chance of something happening. There are a number of ways in which risk is represented. Risk is commonly communicated, by healthcare professionals and the mass media, in two ways - relative risk and absolute risk.

* Relative risk: the likelihood of something happening to people exposed to a particular risk, compared to those not exposed to that risk
* Absolute risk: the chances of something happening to a person over a period of time.

Risk can be reported in many ways, from single word descriptions to lengthy comparative studies. It is important to remember that risk is not always communicated clearly and it can be difficult to figure out what a risk means to a person in real terms.
What does it mean to me?

Risk perceptions can be influenced by our economic, social and cultural factors as well as our own personal experiences. That is, when given information about a risk, we form a value judgement based on many factors, such as our past experiences, what is in the media, combined with information from our family and friends.

We know that breast cancer is a complex disease influenced by genetics, lifestyle choices and environmental factors. Many of these factors are out of our control.

Some factors can be influenced by a change in lifestyle choices, for example maintaining a health weight, although this may not stop breast cancer developing. Before you make lifestyle changes, the risk and benefits should be considered clearly, as these changes could affect your quality of life and increase your fear of breast cancer developing.
Preventing breast cancer

With the exact causes of breast cancer unknown, we are not able to prevent breast cancer happening. Some women who have one of the BRCA genes may be offered preventative treatment, such as risk-reducing surgery or drug trials, but these treatments do not completely remove the chances of breast cancer.
How chances are increased

As you read on, you may feel that one or more risk factors apply to you. However, this does not necessarily mean that your chances of developing breast cancer are increased, as the exact causes of breast cancer remain unknown.
Age

The chances of getting breast cancer increase as we get older but it is important to be vigilant whatever age you are; evidence has shown that if breast cancer is found early, there are more treatment options and the outcome is often better.

However, when it is said that women have a one in nine chance of developing breast cancer by the age of 85, it does not refer to a one in nine chance for younger women, it refers to a lifetime risk. For women in their early 20s, the risk is closer to one in 15,000.
Sex and hormones

Men and women can both get breast cancer, despite more women developing the condition. This is because hormones play a big part in getting and treating breast cancer. For some patients, anti-oestrogen treatments will be used to manage breast cancer.

The length of time that oestrogen circulates the body depends on a number of factors. It is important to remember that we can control only some of these factors.

Factors that can influence Oestrogen levels

* What age your periods start and finish - the longer oestrogen circulates around the body, the higher the risk
* Having children, the age at which you have children and number of children - evidence has shown that the age a woman first becomes pregnant may be important. Having children in your 20s and having more than one child may have a protective effect against breast cancer
* If you breastfeed or not and how long for - statistics show that breastfeeding protects against breast cancer with the length of time you breastfeed effecting the level of protection, but there are some women who don’t breastfeed for personal reasons
* Your body weight after the menopause - in recent years, there has been evidence that increased weight following the menopause is associated with an increased risk. This is because when a woman is postmenopausal, she will still produce oestrogen from the fat cells in her body.

If you are considering a change to your lifestyle, it is important to speak to your GP and weigh up the benefits, versus the risks, in detail.
Other breast problems and breast cancer risk

Nine out of ten women who go to their local breast clinic will be diagnosed with a benign (non-cancerous) breast problem. This does not mean that they are at an increased risk of breast cancer. For a few women diagnosed with atypical hyperplasia, managing this risk would be discussed at that time by a specialist.