What Are the Factors That Cause Breast Cancer?

Like every other woman in the world, you must be worried and curious about the factors which cause breast cancer. Some factors can be associated with your age and genetics. In simple words, factors you have no control over.

On the other hand, there are some factors that are related to your lifestyle and choices. I will list down some of the factors that contribute directly or indirectly to this disease so that you can efficiently control and limit these factors in your life.

If you notice any lumps or abnormalities in your breast tissue during a self-exam, of course, you will be concerned. In some cases, a woman may be so concerned after a self-exam that they believe they need to begin treatment immediately.

This is why it’s always very important to get a second opinion for breast cancer diagnosis, as even if you do have some form of breast cancer, different oncologists may be able to explain better what stage it is in, the specific cancer type, and available treatment options.

Reportedly, the majority of breast cancer diagnoses are in women, so women are at much larger risk than men. According to WHO, breast cancer accounts for around 12% of all new cancer diagnoses in 2021, making it the most common form of cancer globally. It’s expected that 281,550 new breast cancer cases will be diagnosed throughout 2021 in women.

However, that doesn’t mean men can’t be diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 1 out of 100 breast cancer diagnoses are men, with estrogen-related drugs being linked to male breast cancer. It’s estimated that 2,650 men will be diagnosed in 2021 - a much smaller number than women, but it still exists.

The older you get, the more chance there is that you will develop this disease. A woman’s risk of breast cancer in her 30s is only 1 in 227, but this rises to 1 in 68 by age 40 - 50 and increases even more to 1 in 28 by the ages of 60 to 70.

Of course, note that a 0.4% chance of being diagnosed in your 30s doesn’t mean you’re practically invincible. We’re talking about populations of billions, so if “only” 5% of women under the age of 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer, and there are 3.42 billion females in the world, it’s obviously not as “rare” as you might think.

Having breast cancer in your family, of course, increases your risk for the disease, especially if those relatives are within your immediate family (mother, grandmother, aunt, etc.).

If you recovered from breast cancer in the past, it increases your chances of developing the tumor by 4 to 5 times. You are more prone to develop it at the same breast or the other one.

Women who are overweight and obese are more likely to get breast cancer. You should try to maintain a healthy weight according to your BMI to lower the chances of developing breast cancer.

To lower the chances of developing breast cancer, you have to be physically active and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This would also contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight.

Alcohol may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer in women.

Vitamin D plays a vital role in the normal growth of breast cells. Therefore, when a woman has lower levels of vitamin D, she is more prone to abnormal growth of breast cells leading to breast cancer.

Plastic contains a number of harmful chemicals. One of these chemicals is bisphenol A (BPA) which can cause breast cancer.

Therefore, reducing your interaction with plastic can effectively reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Conclusively, many controllable and uncontrollable factors can cause cancer. Even if you can’t reduce the risk by 100%, one thing you can do is screen and examine your breasts on a regular basis. Did you know that women who screen themselves regularly lower the risk of dying from breast cancer by 47%?

First of all, don't panic if you find a lump in your breast. Know that most of the lumps are benign and non-cancerous. Secondly, you should call your doctor, primarily a gynecologist or a doctor who has done your breast exam before. You may also wait for one menstrual cycle before calling the doctor to see if the lump disappears on its own.

The doctor might take your ultrasound and mammogram based on multiple factors such as your age, pregnancy status, and ovulation phase.

You can also talk to a representative of the cancer center through call or online chat. They are professionals who can guide you in a better way.