By Dr. Michael Krychman
Over the course of a woman’s lifetime, approximately 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Most women are concerned about their personal risk for developing cancer and what they can do themselves to reduce their chances of getting the disease.
The following information was summarized from the National Institutes of Health:
Risk Factors for Developing Breast Cancer: Some risks factors are fixed and you are unable to change them. As you get older, your risk of developing breast cancer increases. The vast majority of metastatic and advanced breast cancer is in postmenopausal women who are over the age of 50. Men can and do get breast cancer, though in much less frequency and women are approximately 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer. It is important to know your family history and you may have a higher risk for breast cancer if you have a close relative who have had either breast, uterine, ovarian, or colon cancer. Approximately 30% of women who have breast cancer have a family history of the disease.