10 November 2018 12:00 am
Certain conditions increase women’s risk of developing breast cancer. However many women with breast cancer do not have specific identifiable risk factors apart from being a female and growing older. Some of the risk factors are given below.
- Female gender
- Women over the age of 50.
- Attained menarche before 12 years of age and menopause after 50 years of age.
- Use of oral contraceptive pills (OCP) or hormone replacement therapy.
- First child birth after 30 years of age
- Having relatives who had cancer of breast ovary, uterus, bowel and rectum.
- Obesity
- High consumption of animal fat and oily food
- Smoking (both active and passive) and alcohol consumption.
- Sedentary lifestyle and low physical activity
- Those who had radiation to chest in the past
K.A.D. Chandra Kumari Gunawardana
Nursing Officer, N.C.T.H.
Ragama.