Being that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, many women undergo breast examinations to check for lumps. However, many people still don’t know what may put them at risk of developing breast cancer. Here are some of the causes of breast cancer.
- Age
The older you get, the more your chances of getting breast cancer increase. Only 10% of cases occur in women under the age of 45, the highest risk being women over the age of 60. As you age, your body experiences hormonal imbalance which may trigger the development of cancer cells. Therefore, at this age, women are advised to go for regular breast examinations.
- Family History
You’re at a much higher risk of developing breast cancer if your first relatives (mother, sister or daughter) or multiple relatives who have suffered from it. This includes relatives from both the maternal and paternal side of the family.
- Long Exposure To Radiation
Radiation treatment on the chest areas increases your chances. The age at which the radiation happened also makes you risk-averse. Radiation treatments include things like laser hair removal and tanning beds that use dangerous UV rays.
- Alcohol
Women who drink alcoholic beverages two or more times a day increase their risk by 50%. Alcohol affects the liver’s performance of cleaning out toxins from the body which in turn this increases the risk of developing cancer cells. However, most people don’t realize how high the risk is. A few lifestyle changes help in lowering the risk of suffering from breast cancer.
- Gender
Most breast cancer patients are women. Out of 62000 cases per year in the UK, only 627 are men. Additionally, women’s hormonal puts them at a higher risk of developing breast cancer than men. Estrogen plays a role in developing breast cancer. Breast Cancer In Men: Here Is What You Need To Know
- Dense Breasts
More fatty tissues are actually good for breasts. Someone is said to have dense breasts if she has more glandular and fibrous tissues than fatty tissues. This, then, puts you at risk of developing breast cancer. Though there is no definite way of measuring density, a mammogram exam shows how dense your breasts are depending on the difficulty to read.
- Birth Control Pills
Studies show that women who take oral contraceptive are 50% more likely to develop this type of cancer. Contraceptive pills contain doses of estrogen which may cause dangerous levels of hormone imbalance in the body. Contraceptives with low estrogen doses do not carry any risk of causing breast cancer. However, to be on the safe side, talk to your doctor about alternative birth control methods.
- Breast Implants
Though implants don’t cause the development of cancer, they still put you at risk. Breast implants mask cancer making difficult to detect the cells in its early stages. Thus, this causes late detection which results in a higher chance of dying from the disease. According to research, the risk is as high as 25%. Thinking About Getting A Boob Job? Be Careful As Your Breast Implants Could Give You Cancer
The best way to know whether you’re at risk is to go for regular breast examinations and learn how to check for lumps. many hospitals offer free screening throughout the month of October. Therefore, you should take advantage of this.
Here are Lifestyle changes you need to make to reduce your risk of cancer
