Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Conditions that increase the risk of developing breast cancer:

Personal history of breast cancer
Women who have had breast cancer in one breast have an increased chance of having another breast cancer. The breast cancer can come back in the same breast, in the opposite breast, or in other areas of the body, such as the lungs, liver, brain, or bones.

Family history
A woman's risk of breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, daughter, or two or more other close relatives, such as cousins, have a history of breast cancer, especially if they were diagnosed with breast cancer before age 50.

• Women who inherit specific changes (genetic mutations) in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are much more likely to have breast cancer. They are also more likely to have colon or ovarian cancer. But most women who have a family history of breast cancer do not have changes in BRCA genes.

• Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are more common in certain ethnic groups, such as Ashkenazi Jews.

• Genetic tests are available to determine whether you have the genetic mutations long before any cancer appears. In families where many women have had breast or ovarian cancer, genetic testing can show whether a woman has specific genetic changes known to greatly increase the risk of breast cancer. Doctors may suggest ways to try to prevent or delay breast cancer or to improve the detection of breast cancer in women who have the genetic mutations.