You have probably heard that having a family history of breast cancer increases your risk of developing the disease. But an increased risk is not the same thing as a sure thing.
There are many risk factors for developing breast cancer — and many women without any of those risk factors still end up with cancer. Additionally, the connection between a family history of breast cancer and an increased risk is variable depending on many other factors, such as which family member got sick and what type of cancer they had. Windsong Radiology explains what your family history really means and how it may affect when you start scheduling mammograms.
How Family History Affects Your Risk
Around 1 in eight of all American women will develop breast cancer, and the majority of them will not have a family history of the disease. Only around 5% to 10% of breast cancer diagnoses are in people who have a family history or an inherited genetic mutation such as a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. However, even with no known genetic mutations, family history still increases your risk:
- If you have a first-degree relative (a mother, sister, or daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk nearly doubles.
- If you have two first-degree relatives who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk nearly triples.
- If you have a second-degree relative (aunt or grandmother) diagnosed with breast cancer, your risk increases.
If your family members were diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50, your risk is higher than if they were diagnosed as older women. And if you have a family member diagnosed with ovarian cancer or male breast cancer, your risk also increases.
Other Risk Factors You Can’t Control
Just like you can’t change your family, there are other risk factors for breast cancer you have no control over, including:
- Age. Breast cancer is more common in women older than 55.
- Age at menstruation and menopause. Women who start menstruating at an earlier age, as well as women who enter menopause at a later age, each have an increased risk of breast cancer.
- Breast density. If you have dense breast tissue, your risk increases.
- Past history of breast cancer. If you have had breast cancer, you are more likely to develop it again.
- Race and ethnicity. White and Black women are more likely to develop breast cancer than Asian, Hispanic, or Native American women. Black women are more likely than women of any race to develop breast cancer before age 40.
- Radiation. If you have had radiation to the chest, whether to treat past breast cancer or for another reason, you have a higher risk.
Certain benign breast conditions can also increase your risk of cancer. Your primary care provider or gynecologist can help you understand those risks.
Risk Factors You Can Change
While no one can completely eliminate their risk of breast cancer, everyone can take steps to lower their risk. There are several risk factors you can change, including:
- Breastfeeding. If you have children, breastfeeding after birth can lower your risk.
- Drinking alcohol. Your risk of breast cancer increases with your alcohol consumption level.
- Exercise. Lack of physical activity raises your risk of breast cancer.
- Pregnancy. Having your first child after 30 or never getting pregnant can increase your risk.
- Taking hormones. Some types of hormone replacement therapy after menopause can increase your risk if taken for over five years.
- Weight. Maintaining a healthy weight lowers your risk.
Research also suggests that eating a healthy diet and quitting smoking may lower your risk of breast cancer, but the evidence is not fully clear. However, smoking does increase your risk of lung, kidney, and other cancers. Eating a healthy diet may also lower your risk of colon cancer.
When to Start Screening Mammograms
Women at average risk of breast cancer should start annual screening mammograms at age 40. Annual mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer early when it is more likely to be treatable. Mammograms can show changes in breast tissue years before you would be able to feel a lump in your breast.
If you have a family history of breast cancer, you should talk to your doctor about whether you should start screening mammograms before age 40. It is suggested to start screening 10 years before the age of diagnosis of a first-degree relative. For example, if your mother was diagnosed at age 45, you should start screening at 35. If you have a family member diagnosed at a later age but have multiple other risk factors, your provider may also recommend getting a baseline mammogram or starting screening in your 30s. You may also benefit from genetic counseling.
If and when to start screening early is a personal decision between you and your doctor. Windsong Radiology is here for all your screening and diagnostic mammogram needs at every age.
