The second leading cause of death of women in the United States, according to Women'sHealth.gov, breast cancer affects one in eight women during their life time. While these statistics are frightening, most women with breast cancer are survivors. Doctors have yet to determine the exact cause of this disease, but certain risk factors are thought to possibly increase a woman's chances of developing this disease.
Being Female
While both men and women can develop breast cancer, it is 100 times more common in women, according to the American Cancer Society. The primary reason is because women have considerably more breast cells than men. These cells face constant exposure to the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, the hormones responsible for the overgrowth of cancerous cells in the breast.
Aging
The Mayo Clinic explains that the risk of developing breast cancer increases as a woman ages, with the risk being greater in women over the age of 60. The American Cancer Society delves deeper into this theory, stating that one in eight cases of invasive breast cancer--cancer that spreads beyond the breast to other areas of the body--occur in women under the age of 45--while approximately two out of three cases occur in women age 55 or older.
Genetic Mutations
Genetic mutations--changes occurring in otherwise healthy genes--account for approximately 5 to 10 percent of hereditary breast cancers, notes the American Cancer Society. These genes can pass down through generations from either parent and can increase the risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 80 percent.
The two most common genes responsible for breast cancer are BRCA1 and BRCA2. When cells are healthy, these genes help prevent cancer by stopping abnormal growth of the cells. When the genes mutate, they are unable to perform their job properly, thus increasing the risk of breast cancer.
When these genes pass from generation to generation, they typically affect younger women and often cause cancer in both breasts.
Personal History
Both Aurora Health Care and the Mayo Clinic concur that a personal history of breast cancer increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. This cancer usually develops in another area of the original breast or in the other breast.
Dense Tissue
Every woman has two types of breast tissue--dense and fatty. Excess amounts of dense tissue makes it difficult for doctors to spot any abnormalities during a mammogram, thus allowing breast cancer to flourish rather than be caught in its early stages, when it is easier to treat, thus increasing a woman's chances of survival.
