Am I at Risk of Getting Breast Cancer?
- Other Risk Factors
The Environment
Earlier we said that Japanese women who had moved to the USA developed a similar breast cancer risk to that of the American population. This indicates that there are powerful environmental factors influencing the risk of developing breast cancer. Apart from diet and life-style, certain chemicals, such as pesticides, are thought to increase the risk. As yet, there is no established evidence to support this link. Exposure to radiation also increases the risk of many cancers, including breast cancer.
It is important to realise that the radiation dose used in mammography (X-rays of the breast) is too small to be a significant risk factor.
Previous Benign Breast Biopsy
The risk of breast cancer is very slightly increased if you have had a previous breast biopsy (surgical) for a benign condition, such a cyst. However, the presence of certain microscopic features in a breast biopsy is associated with a higher risk. For example, the risk is increased by 4–5 times if a condition known as atypical epithelial hyperplasia is found in the breast biopsy. The risk factors are summarised in Table 3.