The issue of breast cancer among women has been noted to be on the rise in the 21^st Century to the extent that every woman in the society is always eager to know the possible actions of lowering the risks of having breast cancer. Some factors that have been known to cause breast cancer like being a woman, genetics and age are just permanent and cannot be changed. Other secondary factors like overweight, consuming unhealthy foods, lack of exercise among others can however be improved. This paper, therefore, aims at expounding on the breast cancer risk factors to impart knowledge and awareness among people in the society as they strive to mitigate and evade the problem of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Being a Woman

Just by the fact that one is a woman, that is one of the most significant risk factors of developing breast cancer. Research entails that many breast cancer cases have been reported for women as compared to men and some are invasive while others are non-invasive (Pike, Malcolm et al. 20). During the breast development stage of women, they produce a lot of estrogen hormones to the extent that the simulation may render the breast cells to be more vulnerable to the development of breast cancer as compared to men. For the women to curb this risk factor, changing their sex may be unrealistic but opting a change in some lifestyle activities will help regulate the levels of estrogen hormones for effective reduction of the sex-related breast cancer risk factor.

Age Factor

Everybody in society grows older and older each day. With the other numerous diseases attacking people, then it implies that the risks of developing breast cancer rise as one becomes older (Torre et al. 96). For instance, research by the American Cancer Society, one invasive cancer case out of every eight is found in women aged 45 years and below while two to three cancer invasive cases have been evident for women aged 55 years and above.

The aging factor has been determined to be among the top factors that cause breast cancer. This is because, as people grow older, there is more damage that occurs in the genetic structures (mutations) and therefore, the body is less healthy to repair the mutations thus high risk exposure to breast cancer (Kamińska, Marzena, et al. 196)

History of the Family and Genetic Factors

Women who reign in families that have relatives that have been diagnosed with the disease in the past have high risks of developing the disease too. For those whose mother, sister or daughter has been diagnosed with the illness, then their risk changes are even twice more (Torre et al. 96). Also, if your father or brother has previously developed the disease, the chances of you acquiring the disease are too high, but research is yet to determine the percentage of the risk.

In other cases, some families have a genetic material that keeps steering the development of breast cancer among the family members, and this gene is passed from one generation to another. Some of these genes include BRCA1 or BRCA2 (Torre et al. 96). However, in some situations, an abnormal gene CHEK2 may be responsible for the development of breast cancer disease.

Individual History of Breast Cancer

Research entails that if a person had been previously diagnosed with breast cancer, then they stand a 3 – 4 times higher risk of developing breast cancer again. This is due to the recurrence of the primary disease.

Radiation to Face or Chest Before 30 Years of Age

For people that have been exposed to ration effects due to the treatment of different cancer stand a high chance of developing breast cancer in their life. For instance, if one had face radiation while a teenager to treat something that still exists, then that individual stands a higher chance of developing breast cancer at a later stage in their life (Kamińska, Marzena, et al. 196). The risks depend on the development stage one was during the radiation. If it was during the adolescent phase that incorporated breast development, then the chances of developing breast cancer are even higher afterward in life.

Other research studies also reveal that women who are treated from thyroid using radioactive iodine face a risk of developing breast cancer at some stage in their life. However, this is not affirmed yet for the study outcomes have been mixed.

Breast Changes

When a woman is diagnosed with some certain conditions on breast benign but not cancer, she may develop a high risk of having breast cancer afterward. These conditions exist in numerous forms and affect breast cancer risks. For instance, they may steer the excessive growth of cells that look usually. This condition is generally known as proliferative lesions without atypia whereby the cell pipes for the draining milk out of the nipples grow more rapidly than they should (Barnard, Mollie, Boekeand Tamimi 79). We also have the excessive growth of cells that look abnormal a condition that is inverse of the earlier stated situation. Therefore, when one is diagnosed from one of these conditions, their chances of having breast cancer has been noted to be about 4-5 times higher as compared to the ordinary people (Torre et al. 88).

Consuming Unhealthy Foods

Research entails that about 30 to 40% of cancer reported cases to arise as a result of consuming unhealthy foods. No food stops someone from getting cancer, but there exist food types that one can drink to be healthy and lower the risks of developing cancer (Torre et al. 96). For instance, when one eats foods that contain grains, vegetables, legumes, and fruits, then they acquire the best energy levels that help protect the body against potential changes and risks of having cancer.

The risks of developing breast cancer are minimized in countries that consume basic foods that are plant-based and have low levels of fats. However, in the US, it is still to be approved on the cases of breast cancer and excess consumption of fats. But research records that girls who consume a lot of fats in their adolescent stage, if they do not become obese or overweight, then they stand a chance of developing breast cancer in their life.

Therefore, further research should be conducted in this aspect of diet and the risk of developing breast cancer, but the issue of calories has counts (Barnard, Mollie, Boekeand Tamimi 74). This is because, when one consumes high amounts of fats and become obese or overweight, it should be understood that these are some of the risk factors of breast cancer.

Also, when people consume foods that have been exposed to chemicals like pesticides, their risk factors of developing whole issues are high. Many commercially grown foods like fruits, grain crops, and vegetables, are usually sprayed by pesticides to safeguard them from weed, insects, bacteria and other factors during their growth. Again, antibiotics help in the protection of livestock from parasites and other infections. Therefore, when such chemicals mix with the foods that are consumed by people, then the risk factors for health problems are very high including the risk of developing breast cancer.

Smoking

The effects of tobacco have been noted to have a high correlation with the development of many health issues including the risks of having breast cancer among young women. It has also been revealed that there is a strong relationship between subsequent smoking development of breast cancer among the older women (Barnard, Mollie, Boekeand Tamimi 79). Doctors also say that smoking can stimulate complications when treating breast cancer through inhaling problems after breast reconstruction and surgery and destruction of the lungs from radiation therapy.

Numerous other factors have been noted as the risk factors for the development of breast cancer, and they include low levels of vitamins D, exposure to the night light, dense breasts, lack of exercise, and alcohol consumption among others.

Prevention of the Risk Factors

Given that the above risk factors are some of the factors that steer the development of breast cancer, these risks can be prevented through adopting healthy lifestyles, like avoiding alcohol, smoking, excess fats, exposure to radiations, and having physical activities for body fitness.

In conclusion, there are a lot of factors that lead to the development of breast cancer. Some of these factors can be controlled while others are naturally occurring. It is costly to treat breast cancer and therefore if the safety precautions are adhered to by people, the issue of breast cancer can be minimized by evading the potential risk factors.

Works Cited

Barnard, Mollie E., Caroline E. Boeke, and Rulla M. Tamimi. “Established breast cancer risk factors and risk of intrinsic tumor subtypes.” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Reviews on Cancer 1856.1 (2015): 73-85.

Kamińska, Marzena, et al. “Breast cancer risk factors.” Przeglad menopauzalny= Menopause review 14.3 (2015): 196.

Pike, Malcolm C., et al. “Estrogens progestogens normal breast cell proliferation and breast cancer risk.” Epidemiologic reviews 15.1 (1993): 17-35.

Torre, Lindsey A., et al. “Global cancer statistics, 2012.” CA: a cancer journal for clinicians 65.2 (2015): 87-108.

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