Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomePopularWho Gets Breast Cancer More

Who Gets Breast Cancer More

Previous Breast Cancer Or Lump

Mayo Clinic Explains Breast Cancer

If you have previously had breast cancer or early non-invasive cancer cell changes in breast ducts, you have a higher risk of developing it again, either in your other breast or in the same breast.

A benign breast lump does not mean you have breast cancer, but certain types of breast lumps may slightly increase your risk of developing cancer.

Some benign changes in your breast tissue, such as cells growing abnormally in ducts , or abnormal cells inside your breast lobes , can make getting breast cancer more likely.

Breast Cancer: Risk Factors And Prevention

Have questions about breast cancer? Ask here.

ON THIS PAGE: You will find out more about the factors that increase the chance of developing breast cancer. Use the menu to see other pages.

A risk factor is anything that increases a persons chance of developing cancer. Although risk factors often influence the development of cancer, most do not directly cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop cancer, while others with no known risk factors do. Knowing your risk factors and talking about them with your doctor may help you make more informed lifestyle and health care choices.

Most breast cancers are sporadic, meaning they develop from damage to a persons genes that occurs by chance after they are born. There is no risk of the person passing this gene on to their children, as the underlying cause of sporadic breast cancer is environmental factors.

Inherited breast cancers are less common, making up 5% to 10% of cancers. Inherited breast cancer occurs when gene changes called mutations are passed down within a family from parent to child. Many of those mutations are in tumor suppressor genes, such as BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2. These genes normally keep cells from growing out of control and turning into cancer. But when these cells have a mutation, it can cause them to grow out of control.

The following factors may raise a womans risk of developing breast cancer:

On Hair Loss During Chemo

Like many people, Dr. ORiordan experienced hair loss as a result of chemotherapy. There some new developments, like cooling caps, which can mitigate the effects of chemotherapy-induced hair loss. Dr. Renata Urban, a Gynecologic Oncologist at the University of Washington, says in an earlier interview, In regards to the risk of hair loss with Paclitaxel, there is often complete hair loss some. Patients may not lose all of their hair.

I think one thing thats important to know is that if a patient does not lose their hair, it does not mean that the chemotherapy is not effective, says Dr. Urban. Some patients may lose all of their hair, and some patients may not.

Dr. Urban speaks about cold therapy and cooling caps. She says, The mechanism of this is that with the cold it can cause vasoconstriction or narrowing of the blood vessels bringing blood to the scalp.

Dealing With Hair Loss During Chemotherapy

Don’t Miss: Stage 3 Advanced Breast Cancer

What Other Risk Factors For Breast Cancer Are Scientists Studying

Scientists are studying other possible personal risk factors for breast cancer including diet, smoking, exposure to second hand smoke, current or recent use of oral contraceptives , use of the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol prior to the early 1970s to prevent miscarriage, exposure to estrogens and progestins in some personal care products and night-shift employment.

A number of chemicals are being studied as possible risk factors for breast cancer. These include various by-products of industrial processing, production and combustion, pesticides, metals, and solvents.

Additional research is needed to determine the role, if any, these factors may have in the development of breast cancer.

Reducing The Cancer Burden

Triple

Between 30 and 50% of cancers can currently be prevented by avoiding risk factors and implementing existing evidence-based prevention strategies. The cancer burden can also be reduced through early detection of cancer and appropriate treatment and care of patients who develop cancer. Many cancers have a high chance of cure if diagnosed early and treated appropriately.

Read Also: Is Stage 3 Breast Cancer Curable

Breast Lumps Or Lumpiness

Many women find their breasts feel lumpy. Breast tissue naturally has a bumpy texture.

Some women have more lumpiness in their breasts than others. In most cases, this lumpiness is no cause to worry.

If the lumpiness can be felt throughout the breast and feels like your other breast, then its likely normal breast tissue.

Lumps that feel harder or different from the rest of the breast or that feel like a change should be checked. This type of lump may be a sign of breast cancer or a benign breast condition .

See a health care provider if you:

  • Find a new lump that feels different from the rest of your breast
  • Find a new lump that feels different from your other breast
  • Feel something thats different from what you felt before

If youve had a benign lump in the past, dont assume a new lump will also be benign. The new lump may not be breast cancer, but its best to make sure.

Recommended Reading: Tubular Cancer Of The Breast

Differences By Race And Ethnicity

Some variations in breast cancer can be seen between racial and ethnic groups. For example,

  • The median age of diagnosis is slightly younger for Black women compared to White women 63 years old).
  • Black women have the highest death rate from breast cancer. This is thought to be partially because about 1 in 5 Black women with breast cancer have triple-negative breast cancer – more than any other racial/ethnic group.
  • Black women have a higher chance of developing breast cancer before the age of 40 than White women.
  • At every age, Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other race or ethnic group.
  • White and Asian/Pacific Islander women are more likely to be diagnosed with localized breast cancer than Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.
  • Asian/Pacific Islanders have the lowest death rate from breast cancer.
  • American Indian/Alaska Natives have the lowest rates of developing breast cancer.

Also Check: Chemo Schedule For Breast Cancer

Risk Factors You Cant Change

Being a woman. Men can get breast cancer too, but itâs 100 times more likely to affect women.

History of breast cancer. A woman who has had cancer in one breast, such as ductal carcinoma in situ or invasive breast cancer, is three to four times likelier to develop a new breast cancer, unrelated to the first one, in either the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is different than a recurrence of the previous breast cancer.

Age. Your risk goes up as you age. About 77% of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over 50, and more than 40% are 65 and older.

In women ages 40 to 50, there is a 1 in 68 chance of developing breast cancer. From 50 to 60, that goes up to 1 in 42. From 60 to 70, it’s one in 28. And in women 70 and older, it’s 1 in 26.

Direct family history. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer puts a woman at higher risk. It’s even greater if this relative developed breast cancer before 50 and had cancer in both breasts.

Having one first-degree relative with breast cancer roughly doubles your risk, and having two first-degree relatives triples your risk. Having a male blood relative with breast cancer will also increase the risk.

Dense breasts. Your breasts are a mix of fatty, fibrous, and glandular tissue. Dense breasts have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat. A woman with dense breasts is 1.5 to 2 times more likely to get breast cancer.

What Are The Risk Factors For Breast Cancer

New study says black women using certain hair products more likely to get breast cancer

Being a woman and getting older are the main risk factors for breast cancer.

Studies have shown that your risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors. The main factors that influence your risk include being a woman and getting older. Most breast cancers are found in women who are 50 years old or older.

Some women will get breast cancer even without any other risk factors that they know of. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Most women have some risk factors, but most women do not get breast cancer. If you have breast cancer risk factors, talk with your doctor about ways you can lower your risk and about screening for breast cancer.

Read Also: Estrogen Positive Breast Cancer Survival

Your Personal History Of Breast Cancer

If youve been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past, you are more likely to develop a new cancer in the other breast or in another part of the same breast. This is not considered a recurrence but a new breast cancer.

What to do: Follow your cancer teams instructions on monitoring to stay on top of this risk. Ask your doctor whether you should see a genetic counselor.

Characteristics Of Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer cells can have many different characteristics that can affect treatment choices. After a tissue , your doctor will share a pathology report with you that explains how the cells look and behave. You may see cell characteristics described as -positive or negative and HER2-positive or negative.

  • , more treatments are becoming available. Chemotherapy is usually a required part of treatment, either before or after surgery.

There are also breast cancers that are considered less common, including , , and Pagets disease. Still, these breast cancers have no less of an impact on a person:

  • Male breast cancer includes the same types of breast cancer that happen in women: DCIS, IDC, and ILC. In 2021, it was estimated that 2,650 men in the U.S. would be diagnosed with breast cancer.

Common symptoms of breast cancer include:

  • A lump in the breast
  • Swelling of all or part of the breast
  • Skin dimpling or puckering

You May Like: Signs Of Stage 4 Breast Cancer

Having Dense Breast Tissue

Breasts are made up of fatty tissue, fibrous tissue, and glandular tissue. Breasts appear denser on a mammogram when they have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fatty tissue. Women with dense breasts on mammogram have a higher risk of breast cancer than women with average breast density. Unfortunately, dense breast tissue can also make it harder to see cancers on mammograms.

A number of factors can affect breast density, such as age, menopausal status, the use of certain drugs , pregnancy, and genetics.

To learn more, see our information on breast density and mammograms.

Family History And Inherited Genes

Free Svg Breast Cancer Design

Some people have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than the general population because other members of their family have had particular cancers. This is called a family history of cancer.

Having a mother, sister or daughter diagnosed with breast cancer increases the risk of breast cancer. This risk is higher when more close relatives have breast cancer, or if a relative developed breast cancer under the age of 50. But most women who have a close relative with breast cancer will never develop it.

Some people have an increased risk of breast cancer because they have an inherited gene fault. We know about several gene faults that can increase breast cancer risk and there are tests for some of them. Having one of these faulty genes means that you are more likely to get breast cancer than someone who doesnt. But it is not a certainty.

Two of these faulty genes are known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. These are not common. Only about 2 out of every hundred of breast cancers are related to a change in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes.

Ionising radiation includes tests such as x-rays and CT scans and treatment such as radiotherapy.

Read Also: How Quickly Can Breast Cancer Grow

Having Certain Benign Breast Conditions

Women diagnosed with certain types of benign breast conditions may have a higher risk of breast cancer. Some of these conditions are more closely linked to breast cancer risk than others. Doctors often divide benign breast conditions into different groups, depending on how they affect this risk.

Non-proliferative lesions: These conditions dont seem to affect breast cancer risk, or if they do, the increase in risk is very small. They include:

  • Fibrosis and/or simple cysts
  • Mild hyperplasia
  • Epithelial-related calcifications
  • Other tumors

Mastitis is not a tumor and does not increase the risk of breast cancer.

Proliferative lesions without atypia : In these conditions theres excessive growth of cells in the ducts or lobules of the breast, but the cells don’t look very abnormal. These conditions seem to raise a womans risk of breast cancer slightly. They include:

  • Usual ductal hyperplasia
  • Fibroadenoma
  • Several papillomas
  • Radial scar

Proliferative lesions with atypia: In these conditions, the cells in the ducts or lobules of the breast tissue grow excessively, and some of them no longer look normal. These types of lesions include:

Breast cancer risk is about 4 to 5 times higher than normal in women with these changes. If a woman also has a family history of breast cancer and either hyperplasia or atypical hyperplasia, she has an even higher risk of breast cancer.

Lobular carcinoma in situ

Breast Cancer Survival Death Rates

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer according to the ACS.

The society estimates that about 40,450 women and 440 men will likely die of breast cancer in 2016, but significantly more patients will defeat the disease. In fact, breast cancer deaths have been declining annually since about 1989, especially among women under age 50. Regular screenings, early detection and better treatments are credited for improved prognosis.

It is estimated there are currently more than 2.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States alone.

According to the ACS:

  • The 5-year relative survival rate for women with stage 0 or stage I breast cancer is close to 100%.
  • For women with stage II breast cancer, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 93%.
  • The 5-year relative survival rate for stage III breast cancers is about 72%. But often, women with these breast cancers can be successfully treated.
  • Breast cancers that have spread to other parts of the body are more difficult to treat and tend to have a poorer outlook. Metastatic, or stage IV breast cancers, have a 5-year relative survival rate of about 22%. Still, there are often many treatment options available for women with this stage of breast cancer.

Also Check: How Serious Is Stage 3 Breast Cancer

American Association Of State Troopers

American Association of State Troopers claims to support retired state troopers. As Smarter Giving notes, what is actually supports is the bank balances of its chief executives. IRS reports show that in 2011 alone, executive director Ken Howles drew an $87000 salary of the little money left over, only around 9-14% made its way into the hands of the troopers.

Shift Work May Increase Risk Of Breast Cancer

Why Black women are more at risk of dying from breast cancer

The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently concluded that women who worked night shifts for 30 years or more were twice as likely to develop breast cancer. However, women who work nights are advised not to panic. Its worth noting that no link was found between higher breast cancer risk and periods of night work which were shorter than 30 years.

All photography is for illustrative purposes only and all persons depicted are models.

  • 23.12.2021

Also Check: Does Cancer Hurt In Breast

What Is Secondary Breast Cancer In The Lung

Secondary breast cancer in the lung happens when breast cancer cells spread to the lung. It can also be known as lung metastases or secondaries in the lung.

Secondary breast cancer in the lung is not the same as cancer that started in the lung.

Usually secondary breast cancer occurs months or years after primary breast cancer. But sometimes its found at the same time as the primary breast cancer, or before the primary breast cancer has been diagnosed. In this situation, the breast cancer has already spread to the other parts of the body such as the lung. This is referred to as de novo metastatic breast cancer, meaning the breast cancer is metastatic from the start.

Dont Miss: Prognosis Of Stage 3 Breast Cancer

Interactive Statistics With Seer*explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can

  • Create custom graphs and tables

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

Read Also: Life Expectancy Of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Also Check: Third Stage Cancer

Family History And Breast Cancer Risk

Most women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of it. Or if you have only one female relative diagnosed with breast cancer over the age of 40, your risk is unlikely to be very different from other women the same age as you.

But sometimes breast cancer can run in families. The chance of there being a family link is bigger when:

  • a number of family members have been diagnosed with breast cancer or related cancers, such as ovarian cancer
  • the family members are closely related
  • the family members were diagnosed at a younger age
  • a man in your family has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Fewer than 1 in 10 breast cancers are thought to be caused by a change in a gene running through the family. In hereditary breast cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the two genes most often found to have a change.

Women with triple negative breast cancer are sometimes offered genetic testing. This is offered even if they do not have a family history of breast cancer. Most breast cancers caused by a change in the BRCA1 gene are triple negative. Your doctor or breast care nurse can explain more about this to you.

If you are worried about breast cancer in your family, talk to your GP or breast specialist. They can refer you to a family history clinic or a genetics clinic.

See also

RELATED ARTICLES

Popular Articles