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What age is at greater risk of getting breast cancer?

What is my risk of getting breast cancer?

  • My maternal grandmother battled cancer multiple times in her life, before dying in 2004. She had breast cancer when my mother was a teenager I believe, and battled through it, although she may have had a masectomy. The cancer came back when she was in her 60's or 70's in her lungs (not sure if anywhere else.... I was young) and she died of that. My paternal grandmother had gotten diagnosed with breast cancer when my father was around my age (I am nearly 16). She had both of her breasts removed, went through treatment, and the only cancer problems she has had since have been some skin lesions on her face. Now, last week, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. It is not a bad one, in fact, it is one of the "best" cancers to get in that area. She is scheduled to have the bad area removed in about three weeks, and will begin radiation after that for a few weeks. I just want to know what my chances of getting this disease are, and what I can do to prevent it. Because all these women are strong women, but this disease takes a toll on everybody, and I don't know if I could handle going through that with myself.

  • Answer:

    Hereditary breast cancer is rare; only 5 - 10% of all breast cancer cases are hereditary, and they are due to a rare inherited faulty gene. Breast cancer diagnosed after the age of 50 is even less likely to be hereditary. If ether of your parents carries one of the rare faulty genes known to be responsible for hereditary breast cancer, then you have a 50% chance of having inherited that gene. if you have inherited it, you have a 50 - 80% chance of developing breast cancer by the time you are around 75 years old. If you haven't inherited it (again, a 50% chance), you are not at increased risk of breast cancer If your paternal grandmother is the only member of that side of the family to have had breast cancer, then it isn't hereditary. As both your mother and her mother have had breast cancer, there is a chance it may be hereditary, This will be established by tests, and if she does carry one of the genes you will be offered genetic testing when you reach the appropriate age. If it turns out she doesn't carry one of the faulty BRCA genes, then nor will you, and there will be no known increase in your risk of breast cancer. But as the daughter of someone with breast cancer, you will still be treated as at increased risk as a precaution - this simply means you will be offered routine mammograms starting when you are 10 years younger than your mother was at diagnosis. There is nothing you can do to prevent breast cancer - otherwise all those of us who've had breast cancer would have done it. Best wishes to your mother for her treatment

Sarah at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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It sounds like breast cancer on your mother's side of the family is hereditary, but it may have been just coincidence on your father's side. What you should do, is talk to your doctor about your personal risk of getting breast cancer, potentially set up more frequent mammograms, since you appear to be at a higher risk than normal for breast cancer. It may be hereditary, or just one big ole coincidence, but you should still see your doctor as soon as possible to determine your risk. Yahoo answers can't give you a definite answer about something this serious. I will be praying for you and your mother. Take care.

Emily

I totally agree with RedAngel.

yahoozoo

Hi Sarah..i'm afraid you will see many comments about nothing that can be done to prevent cancer. Statements like that go against proven scientific evidence. *A study of 1,000 women showed that those who exercised 3.8 hours or more a week had less than half the rate of breast cancer of those who didn't exercise. *In many studies, obesity has been correlated with a higher risk of breast cancer. Excess body fat produces estrogen which can then be stored in breast tissue and trigger the growth of cancer cells. *Vitamin D deficiency was found in 76% of breast cancer patients. Vitamin D deficiency is now being found to be a risk factor in cancer especially breast cancer. Make sure your levels are optimal - 80ng/ml or 200nmol/l. 5000IU a day. *Rats fed kelp had less breast cancer than rats who were not fed kelp. Kelp is a good source of iodine. *One study found that the risk of breast cancer increases for Japanese women who move from Japan (where daily fat intake is about 20 percent of total calories) to the United States (where daily fat intake is about 40 percent of total calories). *Get plenty of fiber from foods such as fruits and vegetables, beans, and whole grains...fiber interrupts the body's metabolism of estrogen and decreases the blood levels of estrogen. High levels of estrogen in the bloodstream correspond to a higher risk of breast cancer. High-fiber diets can decrease breast cancer risk by up to 54%. *Consume plenty of cruciferous vegetables - broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, bok choy, kale, and cauliflower. Steam them or eat them raw to best preserve their cancer-fighting nutrients. Cruciferous vegetables contain sulfurous compounds called indoles, which help eliminate estrogen from the body and prevent it from triggering the growth of breast cancer. *In one major British study, researchers examined mortality data for breast and colorectal cancer in 24 European countries. A high consumption of animal fat was linked to more cases of cancer, while a higher consumption of fish and fish oil was linked to fewer cases of cancer. North American Eskimo women, who eat a diet extremely rich in omega-3 oils, have no breast cancer at all. *Organic produce is free of pesticides and other environmental toxins that have been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. *Dairy products and meats that have been certified organic are free of hormones like bovine growth hormone (this hormone is banned around the world but still used in the USA), a chemical fed to cows that has been shown to promote the growth of breast cancer cells. *A 1990 study conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston found that taking astragalus daily increased the body's ability to kill cancer cells by tenfold. * A study by Larry Clark, Ph.D, M.P.H., associate professor at the University of Arizona showed that taking selenium could halve cancer rates, and an earlier study published in Holistic Medicine in 1989 concluded that the higher the blood selenium level, the lower the rate of breast cancer. Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium. * A University of North Carolina study in 1997 confirmed a correlation between the consumption of the trans fats in processed margarines and vegetable oils with an increase in breast cancer. * Eat a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, and legumes. These foods contain phytonutrients (plant nutrients such as polyphenols), compounds that protect against cellular damage and inhibit cancer growth. In one Harvard School of Public Health study, women who ate the most vegetables had a 48% lower incidence of breast cancer than those who ate the least; those who ate the most fruit had a 32 % lower incidence than those who ate less fruit. *One study of close to 85,000 women showed a higher risk of breast cancer in smokers than in nonsmokers. *Monounsaturated oils such as olive oil have been linked with lower rates of cancer. A study of women in Spain demonstrated a lower risk of breast cancer in those who were consuming the most olive oil. I personally prefer macadamia..much more delicious! :)

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