Can you lower your risk for breast cancer?
A risk factor is anything that raises your chances of getting a disease.
Breast cancer risks you cannot change
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Gender: Females are much more likely to develop breast cancer than others.
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Age: Breast cancer risk increases with age, with most breast cancers developing after the age of 50.
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Genetic mutations: Inherited gene mutations cause breast cancers. These genetic mutations can be passed on from either parent, to any child.
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Family history: Your risk increases if your mother, sister, father, or child had breast cancer, especially if the diagnosis was before the age of 50.
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Menstrual and reproductive health history: Women who menstruated early (before the age of 12), entered menopause late (after 55), gave birth at an older age, or never gave birth have an increased risk for breast cancer.
How to prevent or lower your risk of breast cancer
Research shows that some healthy habits can lower your risk.
Lifestyle-related breast cancer risks
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Physical inactivity: Breast cancer risk increases with a sedentary lifestyle.
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Being overweight or obese: An unhealthy weight increases your risk of breast cancer, especially if you are overweight or obese following menopause.
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Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol frequently increases your risk of breast cancer.
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Childbirth choices: Your chances of breast cancer increase if you never have biological children, have your first child after the age of 35, or never breastfeed.
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Radiation to the chest: Having radiation therapy to the chest before the age of 30 may increase your risk.
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What is breast cancer screening?
Breast cancer screening means getting regular tests to find breast cancer, even before you have any signs or symptoms. Regular screenings help find cancer early, when it's easier to treat.
Benefits of regular breast cancer screenings include:
Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations
It all depends on your level of risk.
Breast cancer screening recommendations for women at average risk from NCCN
Mammography
Every year starting at age 40
Mammography uses low-dose X-rays to take pictures of a breast to check for signs of breast cancer. During a screening test you will have a mammogram, which takes images of your breasts. Sometimes to get a closer look at an area, you may need to have an ultrasound or MRI.
Clinical Breast Exam
Ages 25-39:
Every 1-3 years
Starting at age 40:
Every year
A clinical breast exam is when a healthcare provider checks your breasts for lumps or other changes. It's a simple and quick exam that helps catch breast cancer early.
Breast Cancer Screening Recommendations for Women at Higher Risk
Routine breast cancer screening is important for all women, but even more so for those at higher risk. If you're at higher risk of breast cancer, you may need to be screened earlier and more often than other women.
You're considered at higher risk of breast cancer if you have:
- A greater than 20% lifetime risk of invasive breast cancer
- One factor that greatly increases risk or several factors that together, greatly increase risk
ACS breast cancer screening guidelines for women at higher risk
Estimated Risk
Women at about 20% to 25% or greater lifetime risk of invasive breast cancer based mainly on family history
Clinical Breast Exam
Not recommended
Mammogram
Every year starting at age 30 or age recommended by health care provider
Breast MRI
Every year starting at age 30 or age recommended by health care provider
NCCN breast cancer screening guidelines for women at higher risk
Estimated Risk
Women at about 20% to 25% or greater lifetime risk of invasive breast cancer based mainly on family history
Clinical Breast Exam
Not recommended
Mammogram
Every year starting at age 30 or age recommended by health care provider
Breast MRI
Every year starting at age 30 or age recommended by health care provider
What are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer?
You may have also heard about breast self-exams and breast self-awareness. This can help you notice changes in your breasts. You should talk to your healthcare provider about any changes you notice.
The most common signs and symptoms of breast cancer are:
- A lump or thickness in or near the breast or under your arm.
- Your breast has swelling (gets bigger) or shrinking (gets smaller), especially on 1 side.
- Changes in your breast skin, such as redness, flaking, or thickening (skin gets hard).
- Nipple discharge (fluid coming from your nipple) that is not breast milk.
- A nipple that becomes sunken (dips inward), red, thick, or scaly.
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