Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Causes of Cancer of the breast

Various factors are thought to increase the risk of breast cancer. These include:

• A close relative with a history of breast cancer. About 10% of cases are thought to have a genetic basis;
• Early start to menstruation (before the age of 11) and late menopause (after age 54);
• Having a first child late;
• Having no children or few children;
• Not breastfeeding long term;
• Having benign (non-cancerous) breast disease in the past;
• Exposure to radiation (other than normal background radiation);
• High fat intake in the diet;
• Being overweight (for post-menopausal women); and
• Moderate to heavy drinking of alcohol.

Oral contraceptives (the pill) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may very slightly increase the risk of breast cancer.

Stay healthy with this safe drinking guide

Work out your body mass index number here

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