With so many types of cancer that attack the human body, there are still many people who do not have any idea what the causes of cancer is. An illness such as cancer will change your life in a major way, but knowing what the main causes of cancer are, can only help you in your battle against the illness.
General facts about breast cancer
The risk factors for many women with breast cancer, are only aging and sex, because most breast cancer only occur in women. This puts all women at risk, only because of their gender. Your family history always comes into play and can be another risk factor. If a relative had breast cancer at a young age, it will increase your risk level. Same goes if the relative is a close relative and if she had cancer in both breasts.
Main causes for breast cancer
Many women are still curious to know what is the common cause for breast cancer? Gender, we already know, is the main risk. Age too, is a huge factor. Breast cancer may occur at any age really, but the risks do increase a lot more, the older that you get. To give you an idea of the statistics, women age 30 has a one in 280 chance of developing breast cancer. Then, a woman only 10 years older, has a bigger chance of developing the illness - one out of 70 chance. Statistics also show that white women have a bigger chance of experiencing the illness, compared to African American women.
Genetics
As mentioned earlier, genetics always play a role with any type of cancer, but especially breast cancer is influenced through the genes of both paternal and maternal relatives. There are round 10% of all breast cancers that can be contributed to certain genes that was passed along with the families. Should you be interested in going for cancer tests, it is best to make an appointment to discuss it with a healthcare specialist. Just remember that these tests are very expensive and will not be covered by any medical insurance.
Hormonal cause for cancer
Certain women who started their period at an early age, round 11 years, has a slightly better chance to develop breast cancer. The risk is also higher with women who reach their menopause late - after the age of 55. The risk is lower with women who had children before age 30, but increases again with women who never had any kids.
Tips and comments:
Piece of advice
If you are a woman you need to go for regular breast cancer checks, at least once a year. You can even do it by yourself by checking on your breasts to see if they have got abnormal lumps. Prevention is better than cure at the end of the day. If you are older like previously mention you stand a higher risk of getting the disease. If your mother or anyone in your family has suffered or is suffering from the disease you may also need to go and have yourself examined as early as possible.
