Family history includes the health history of your parents, siblings, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. This group is considered to be first-degree relatives. If a relative has had breast cancer, the risk for the related woman increases by two to three times. This is particularly true if both breasts were involved in treatment, or the affected woman was premenopausal. Five to 10 percent of breast cancer cases are linked to genetic mutations passed through family ties.
There are two known gene anomalies that cause breast cancer: BRCA1 and BRCA2. One in two hundred women carries one of these genetic mutations, which predisposes women to breast cancer with up to an 85 percent lifetime risk. It is also associated with pancreatic cancer, melanoma and male breast cancer.
Other Risk Factors
Other risk factors include radiation exposure, menstruation before age 12, menopause at an age after 50, never been pregnant, no children birthed, or childbirth after the age of 30, and not breastfeeding. Postmenopausal women who participated in hormone replacement therapy that administered both estrogen and progesterone is at an increased risk of cancer. Drinking more than one or two alcoholic drinks a day or smoking also increases your risk. Basically, researchers have identified many genetic, hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors as breast cancer risks.
Due Diligence Required
The good news here, folks, is that if breast cancer is caught early enough -- for instance, before it has spread beyond the breast -- there is a 90 percent survival rate after five years. The caveat: Recurrence of breast cancer is fairly common, so due diligence must be maintained.
And that is the mantra for every form of cancer: “due diligence.” Regular check-ups and screenings can make the difference between life and death for a woman. It is very important to see your doctor right away if you have any abnormal discharge from the nipples, prolonged unexplained breast pain that interferes with daily life, or there are changes in the breast such as redness, swelling, pain interfering with nursing, a mass or tender lump that remains after nursing, and changes in skin condition. Any of these signs may or may not be accompanied by a fever. Don’t delay, the earlier breast cancer is caught, the better the outcome for the patient.