Risk factors are things that make a person more likely to get cancer. Researchers have identified certain risk factors that put women at a higher risk for breast cancer.

The MAJOR risk factors for breast cancer include:

• Being a woman - Breast cancer is over 100 times more common in women than in men.
  
  
• Age - As a woman ages, her risk for breast cancer increases. Most breast cancers occur in women over age 50.
  
  
• Family History - A woman is at a greater risk for breast cancer if her mother, sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer before menopause or was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at any age.
  
  
• Previous Breast Cancer - Women who have had breast cancer before are more likely to get breast cancer again.

Other Risk Factors: These Factors are Related to Only a Small Increase in Risk for Breast Cancer.

• Early menarche (before age 12), late menopause (over age 55) and/or late age at first pregnancy (over age 30) - During each menstrual cycle of a woman's life, hormonal breast changes occur. Thus, with more menstrual cycles, there is a greater chance that there will be breast changes that lead to breast cancer. More menstrual cycles result from the early onset of menstruation, the late onset of menopause, late age at first pregnancy, or never having had children.
  
  
• Weight - There is some evidence to suggest that high fat diets (more than 30 grams of fat daily) and being overweight are related to an increased risk of breast cancer.
  
  
• Alcohol Use - Drinking three or more alcoholic drinks a week may increase the risk of breast cancer.
  
  
• Use of Hormones - Current research is beginning to show that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may increase breast cancer risk. Discuss your breast cancer risk and HRT with you health care provider.