Breast cancer isn’t entirely preventable, but there are steps you can take to possibly reduce your risk of developing the disease. That starts with knowing the risk factors for breast cancer and how each one may or may not impact you.
Knowing your chances for getting breast cancer not only can help you try to avoid the disease altogether, but it can also help you identify breast cancer symptoms sooner, so you can catch the disease at an early stage. The earlier breast cancer is diagnosed, the greater chance you have for more successful treatments and outcomes.
While there’s no sure way to prevent breast cancer, the breast specialists at the OSUCCC – James work hard every day to research the causes of breast cancer and better, more concrete ways to prevent it. Here are some of the things they recommend to lower your risk of getting breast cancer.
How to reduce your risk of breast cancer
Breast cancer medical oncologist Sagar Sedesai, MBBS, details steps you can take to lower your chances of developing breast cancer.
Breast cancer risk factors
A breast cancer risk factor is anything that increases your chances of getting the disease. Some factors you can change and others you can’t. These factors can be genetic, environmental or lifestyle-related. And it’s important to note that just because you have some of these risk factors, it doesn’t mean you’ll get breast cancer, or if you don’t have any, you won’t ever have breast cancer. Identifying your risk factors for breast cancer can be a useful exercise and provide vital information to your doctor when discussing options for your health care.
Risk factors you can impact
Some breast cancer risk factors are connected to your lifestyle. Adjusting or avoiding these choices may reduce your risk of getting the disease. These types of risks include:
- Obesity
- Poor diet
- Not getting enough exercise
- Alcohol use
- Hormone replacement therapy (estrogen or progesterone) for menopause
- Never having a child or older age at first childbirth
Risk factors you can’t change
Even though you can’t change these things about your life, knowing these risks can allow you and your doctor to make informed decisions about breast cancer screenings and other possible preventive measures. These types of risks include:
- Age – Roughly 75% of breast cancers occur in women older than 50.
- Family history – People with a first-degree relative (mother, daughter, sister) have a greater chance of also getting breast cancer.
- Genetic mutations – People with inherited genes, like BRCA1 and BRCA2, have a high risk for the disease.
- Dense breast tissue – If you have dense breast tissue, you’re at a higher risk for the disease, and breast cancer can be more difficult to detect on a mammogram.
- Menstruation start – Girls who start their periods early might have a higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
- High-risk lesions – High-risk lesions, such as atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia or lobular carcinoma in situ, can lead to breast cancer.
- Previous cancer diagnosis – People who have already had breast cancer can experience recurrence, especially if they were treated with radiation.
- Diethylstilbestrol exposure – From the 1940s to 1970s, some women were given this hormone to prevent miscarriage, and these women and daughters born to them have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Risk factors for male breast cancer
While breast cancer occurs most often in women, men can get it too. The most common risk factors for male breast cancer are:
- Aging
- A family history of breast cancer
- Inherited gene mutations
- Liver disease
- Radiation exposure
- Estrogen treatment
- Heavy alcohol consumption
- Obesity
- Not getting enough exercise
How to prevent breast cancer
There’s no sure way to prevent breast cancer, but there are steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing it, or at the very least try to catch it early enough to get quicker treatments and better outcomes.
Here are some ways you can be proactive in preventing breast cancer:
Lifestyle changes
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a well-balanced diet
- Limit alcohol
- Exercise regularly
- Don’t smoke
- Limit hormone therapy post menopause
- Talk to your doctor about birth control use, especially after 35
How to prevent breast cancer if you’re at a high risk for it
Besides making healthy lifestyle choices, you can take more involved measures to prevent breast cancer if you’re at high risk for it. Being at high risk means you tested positive for certain gene mutations linked to breast cancer, you have a strong family history of it, or you’ve received a biopsy showing atypical cells. Genetic testing can be a crucial tool in preventing breast cancer.
If you have any of these risk factors, or both, you might decide to:
- Undergo a risk-reducing mastectomy to remove both breasts
- Take medications, like tamoxifen and raloxifene, to lower risk
- Have closer observation, more frequent examinations and possibly supplemental imaging, like an MRI, to look for early signs of breast cancer
If you have an increased risk for breast cancer, you can also participate in our High-Risk Breast Cancer Program, where you’ll have access to specialized comprehensive breast assessments administered by a team of breast specialists.
Breast cancer screenings can prevent late-stage breast cancer
Screening tools won’t prevent breast cancer, but they can help detect breast cancer early, allowing you quick access to treatment giving you a better chance of survival. Regular screenings can save your life.
Breast awareness
Nobody knows your breasts as well as you do, so breast awareness is a good way to determine if there are any lumps, bumps or changes in your breasts that you should discuss with your doctor.
Download our breast awareness guide to learn more.
Clinical breast exams
Using the pads of the fingers to feel for lumps, your doctor will check your entire breast, underarm and collarbone area, as well as feel to see if the lymph nodes near the breast are enlarged. Your doctor will look at differences in the size and shape between your breasts and note any other abnormalities.
Mammograms
The OSUCCC – James breast cancer experts recommend that most women get an annual screening mammogram starting at age 40. Women who are younger than 40 but have a family history of breast cancer should start getting mammograms even earlier.
Other breast cancer screenings
For some people with an increased breast cancer risk, further imaging might be recommended. We might use tools, such as magnetic resonance imaging or an automated whole breast ultrasound (ABUS), to help us screen for cancer.
Related Resources
Breast Cancer Types
Breast Cancer Symptoms
Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Staging
Breast Cancer Treatment