The Top Breast Cancer Risk Factors and What You Can Do About It

Let's take a look at some of the top risk factors for breast cancer, and what you can do to mitigate the set of risks you can control.

Risks You Can't Control

It seems rather basic, but two of the top causes of breast cancer, that you cannot change, are simply being a woman and also getting older, according to the CDC. Most breast cancers occur in women, and most are diagnosed in women over the age of 50.

Additionally, women who got their periods before the age of 12, or started menopause after age 55, are at increased risk as well, because their bodies have been exposed to hormones over a longer period time. Also at increased risk are women with dense breasts (which can also make it hard to see tumors on a mammogram or feel them when doing a self-breast exam).

Related: Introduction to Prevention and Screening for Breast Cancer

Other risk factors for breast cancer that you can't control include genetic mutations to particular genes, like BRCA1 and BRCA2; this trait is inherited. History of breast cancereither a previous personal diagnosis or a family historyalso increase the risk.

Risk You Can Control

Lack of physical activity increases risk for breast cancer, as does carrying extra weight after menopause, according to the CDC.

"A healthy, more plant-based diet is proving to be the best form of diet to prevent most cancers," Dr. Cate tells SurvivorNet. "A normal BMI reduces your risk of breast, endometrial, and colon cancers."

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Studies also show that breast cancer risk increases with alcohol consumption. "We know that five or more drinks per week increase the risk of breast cancer by 1.5 times the baseline population," Dr. Cate notes. So you can reduce your intake to affect your risk.

Hormone replacement therapy taken for more than five years during menopause can raise the risk, as can certain birth control pills.

Related: This Study Shows That All Breast Cancer Patients Should Get Genetic Testing

Your reproductive history can also affect your risk: Women who carry a first pregnancy after age 30, don't breastfeed, or never carry a pregnancy to full-term are at a higher risk. "Women that have children before the age of 30 have a lower risk of breast cancer," Dr. Cate explains. "But having children any time decreases the risk of breast cancer."

Smoking and exposure to chemicals that cause cancer also increase risk, the CDC notes.

Myths About Breast Cancer

Common myths surrounding increased risk for breast cancer include cell phones and deodorant usage. But these are fears doctors want to dispel. "If they caused breast cancer, we would see more men getting breast cancer, and many more women getting diagnosed with breast cancer," Dr. Cate tells SurvivorNet.

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She adds, "Other common myths include, ‘If I don’t have a family member with breast cancer, I cannot get it.’ Most breast cancer cases have no family history of breast cancer."

As to the myth that a biopsy spreads cancer: "This is simply not true," says Dr. Cate.

Get Your Mammograms

Having an annual mammogram for average-risk patients starting at age 40 increases the ability to find breast cancer at its earliest stages. "Most mammographically detected cancers are stage 0 to 2," Dr. Cate explains, noting that, "most of these do not need chemotherapy."

So get those regular mammograms no matter what. "If you have family history or a genetic mutation, you need to start mammograms earlier," Dr. Cate adds. "Check with your doctor or see a breast surgeon to see when you should start getting mammograms."

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