The risk of breast cancer in women depends on many factors. Doctors don't know why one person gets it and another doesn't. It's not contagious, you can't get it by bumping or bruising your breast, and having cysts doesn't increase your breast cancer risk. Your gender is the highest risk. Women are much more likely than men to get breast cancer, but there are other risk factors that increase your risk.
Genetics
About 10 percent of breast cancers are passed down through families. Inheriting changed genes gives you a 60 to 80 percent chance of getting breast cancer by the time you're 70. Having a mother, daughter or sister with breast cancer increases your risk of developing it. A personal history of breast cancer or a benign breast disease puts you at a higher risk.
Age and Race
Your chances of breast cancer are higher as you grow older. Most breast cancers are found in women over 50. White women are more likely to develop breast cancer, followed by African American, Asian American, Hispanic and Native American women.
Hormones
Use of hormones such as progesterone and estrogen increases your risk of developing breast cancer. Lifetime exposure to estrogen is an important risk factor for developing breast cancer. You are at higher risk because of longer exposure to estrogen if you never had children, give birth to your first child when you're over 30, start your periods early or don't stop having periods until you're over 55.
Breast Tissue
If you have a mammogram that shows that you have dense breast tissue, your risk for breast cancer is higher. Dense breast tissue means that you have more glandular tissue and less fatty tissue. Breast tissue that is dense also makes it harder for doctors to see the problem and determine treat it.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol increases your risk of developing breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, drinking more than one alcoholic beverage increases breast cancer risk, and those who have two to five drinks a day have a 1.5 times greater risk than nondrinkers.
Fitness
Obesity or being overweight raises risk of breast cancer, especially if weight gain is in the waist area or develops after you become an adult. You can lower breast cancer risk by 18 percent if you walk 1.25 to 2.5 hours a week.
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