Risk Factors
The longer women with the mutation used hormonal contraception, the bigger the increase in risk.
While the benefits of supplemental screening are clear, the additional screenings may also lead to more false alarms, which can take a financial and emotional toll on people.
Two international studies provide evidence on safety.
The risk of ovarian and prostate cancer was much higher than average.
Genetic testing is important for young women with breast cancer.
Having a family history of breast cancer and a mutation in any of the five main breast cancer genes may increase the chance that you may discover breast cancer between your routine mammograms.
Being older when having your first child and breastfeeding seem to offer some protection against triple-negative breast cancer.
Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have a higher-than-average risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Two preventive strategies may reduce the risk of death among women with these mutations.
Living and working in places with high levels of a specific type of air pollution increases breast cancer risk.
It’s a common question: Does alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence? A study looking at the issue doesn’t really offer a good answer because it only looked at drinking alcohol six months before and after diagnosis.
Hate to exercise? Consider this: A few minutes of vigorous exercise a day may be enough to reduce your risk of cancer.
Obesity seems to affect breast cancer cells, causing genetic mutations and inflammation.
Obesity may increase breast cancer risk even more in women with a BRCA mutation, who are already a high-risk group.
Women with BRCA mutations continue to have a higher risk of breast cancer after age 50.
Breast MRI seems to be the best supplemental screening method for finding cancer in women with dense breasts.
Black women who smoked when they were diagnosed with breast cancer were more likely to die from any cause.
Mutations in four genes linked to breast cancer greatly increase cancer risk in the opposite breast.
Few women understand that having dense breasts increases breast cancer risk more than family history or some other risk factors.
Telling children that their mothers have a genetic risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer doesn’t affect their long-term quality of life.
Overall, neither systemic nor vaginal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) seemed to increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence (the cancer coming back) in women diagnosed with early-stage, estrogen receptor-positive disease. Still, using vaginal HRT slightly increased recurrence risk in women who received an aromatase inhibitor.
In women with extremely dense breasts and a high risk of breast cancer, screening with 3D mammograms — rather than 2D digital mammograms — was linked to a lower risk of advanced-stage disease.
Infertility seems to double the risk of breast cancer in men.
Simple at-home strength exercises plus vitamin D and omega-3 supplements seemed to reduce cancer risk in healthy people age 70 and older.
Black and Hispanic women who had low levels of vitamin D in their blood were more likely to develop breast cancer than women with sufficient levels.