The risk-factors for breast cancer

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.