Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Risk factors for breast cancer

Any woman can get breast cancer.

A breast cancer arises "spontaneously", ie without any apparent external cause. Breast cancer is not caused by a specific behavior. This also means, conversely, it can not be prevented by, for example, a particularly health-conscious lifestyle. Basically, any woman can fall ill.

Occur also at increased risk do not automatically have a disease. But there are some important factors that influence the probability of the occurrence of breast cancer:
  • Higher life expectancy: A 65-year-old woman has become ill as compared to a 45-year-old a 3-times as high risk in their next year of life breast cancer.
  • Family history: If a first-degree relatives (mother or sister) who is ill, the risk to the 3 - to 4-fold, especially if the affected relatives had the disease when younger than 50 years.
  • Mutation: Are certain genes that increase the so-called BRCA 1 and BRCA-2 genes, altered the risk by a factor of 7 to 8 At 2 to 5 percent of women with breast cancer and these genes can be detected even in 30 to 60 percent of cases where there is a family history of this disease.
  • Births: When infertility is an increased risk of breast cancer by a factor of 1.5 to 4
  • Age at first birth: the first child was brought from the age of 35 years to the world, is the increased risk of breast cancer 3 times. By contrast, the risk is lower if the first birth before 20 age took place.
  • Breastfeeding: A lasting longer than 4 weeks lactation reduces breast cancer risk.
  • Date of first menstrual period: an onset of menstruation before 12 year of life increases the risk by a factor of 2 A menstrual period beginning after 16 Age lowers the risk.
  • Suspension of menstruation: Set the menstrual bleeding after the 55th Years off, doubled the risk. If this date is before the 45th year of life, is to reduce the risk.
  • Previous illness: If an illness has been through breast cancer, the risk of another breast cancer 5-fold higher than that of a non-affected women.
Some other risk factors have less influence, but may still be important. These include obesity and the intake of hormones for menopausal symptoms.

Regular studies provide security.

These risk factors are statistically calculated. The specified risk increases are statistical averages. This means that it is unlikely for a presence of one or more risk factors automatically with the occurrence of breast cancer. However, in women who have multiple risk factors combine to provide detailed advice and regular examinations by the gynecologist is necessary. In this way a possible breast cancer can often be detected early. At an early stage of the disease can be effectively treated, as an already more advanced illness.

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