Breast Cancer Risk in American Women - National Cancer Institute

FULL-TEXT ►

Breast Cancer Risk in American Women - National Cancer Institute

Breast Cancer Risk in American Women

Key Points

• Based on current breast cancer incidence rates, experts estimate that about one out of every eight women born today will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time during her life.
• The strongest risk factor for breast cancer is age. A woman’s risk of developing this disease increases as she gets older.
• Other factors can also increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer, including inherited changes in certain genes, a personal or family history of breast cancer, having dense breasts, beginning to menstruate before age 12, starting menopause after age 55, having a first full-term pregnancy after age 30, never having been pregnant, obesity after menopause, and alcohol use.