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6 ways to reduce your risk of breast cancer today
It’s the most common cancer among Australian women, but more and more research is showing there are several ways you can reduce your chances of getting breast cancer – and you can start today.
In very simplistic terms, if you live to be 85, you have a one-in-nine chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer. And even though the average age of diagnosis is 60, about 25 percent of cases are in women aged under 50.
While being breast-cancer aware and checking your breasts regularly is important for early detection [see How getting to know your breasts can save your life], several lifestyle factors have been found to have a significant impact on a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer in the future.
1. Alcohol consumption
Even a few standard drinks a week have been linked with an increase risk of breast cancer. Recent US research found that low levels of alcohol consumption – three to six glasses of wine per week – were linked with a 15 percent increase of developing the disease. In the same research, women who drank two glasses or more a day were found to have a 51 percent higher risk than those who never drank alcohol.
2. Taking the Pill
Studies have found that women taking oral contraceptives have a slightly greater risk of breast cancer than women who have never used them. However, women who stopped using oral contraceptives more than 10 years ago do not appear to have any increased breast cancer risk.
3. Having babies
On average, women who have had children have up to a 30 percent lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer than women who have had no children.
4. The age of having babies
For women who have their first child at younger ages (that is, before 25 years) the breast-cancer risk is about 43 percent lower than for women who have their first child after the age of 29 years.
Women who breastfed in total for at least three years (across all their children) have about 10–20 percent less risk of getting breast cancer compared with women who did not breastfeed. For a total breastfeeding time of more than four years the reduction in risk is about 30 percent.
Research has shown that regular moderate exercise can significantly reduce your breast-cancer risk. The only question is how much exercise is needed. One study found that as little as one hour and 15 minutes to 2½ hours of brisk walking per week reduced the risk by 18 percent. Walking 10 hours a week reduced the risk a little more.
Risk factors you can’t change
There are several factors you can’t change when it comes to your risk of getting breast cancer. But knowing these can help you be more vigilant in checking your breasts regularly for any changes.
- Being a woman: women are 100 times more likely to get breast cancer than men.
- Family history: breast-cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease. The relatives can be from either the mother's or father's side of the family. Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer almost doubles a woman’s risk. However, more than 85 percent of women who get breast cancer have no family history.
- Genetics: between five and ten per cent of breast cancers are believed to be associated with inherited genetic mutations. The most common gene changes are those of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Women with these gene changes have up to an 80 percent chance of getting breast cancer during their lifetimes.
- Density of breast tissue: dense breast tissue means there is more gland tissue and less fatty tissue. Women with denser breast tissue have a higher risk of breast cancer. Dense breast tissue can also make it harder for doctors to spot problems on mammograms.
- The age periods began: women who began having periods early – that is, before the age of 12 – have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.
- Certain benign breast problems: some breast conditions have been found to sometimes be precursors to getting breast cancer.
Unproven risk factors
It seems every day there’s another report about something else causing breast cancer. Many of these are unsubstantiated – here are a few:
- Pregnancy termination or abortion
- Tobacco smoking (study findings are inconsistent)
- Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (study findings are inconsistent)
- Environmental pollutants
- Wearing a bra or different types of bra, such as those with underwire
- Silicone implants
- Use of underarm deodorant or anti-perspirant
The Federal Government's Cancer Australia website has an online calculator women can use to find out their risk of getting breast cancer.
More women's health articles:
Last revised: Wednesday, 15 August 2012
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.
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