UAE: 9 common breast cancer risk factors every woman should know – News

Survival rates have improved significantly, and deaths associated with the disease are steadily declining

Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women, and while there are some risk factors, such as female birth or aging, that we cannot control, there are others that we can protect against.

Pink Caravan, a breast cancer awareness and early detection initiative of the civil society organization Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), has stepped up its advocacy efforts in celebration of International Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM), turning the focus to both. type of breast cancer. risk factors and reiterate the benefits of early screening.

irreversible risk factors

– getting old. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50.

– History of breast or ovarian cancer. Women are at higher risk for breast cancer if their mother, sister, or daughter (first-degree relatives) or multiple family members on either the mother’s or father’s side have breast or ovarian cancer. Having breast cancer in a first-degree male relative also increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer.

– Previous treatment with radiation therapy. Women who receive radiation to the chest or breasts before age 30 have a higher risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

– Reproductive history. Starting a menstrual period before age 12 and starting menopause after age 55 exposes women to hormones for longer, increasing their risk of breast cancer.

modifiable risk factors

– No physical activity. Women who are inactive have a higher risk of breast cancer.

– Overweight or postmenopausal obesity. Older women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of breast cancer than women of a healthy weight.

– Take hormones. Some forms of hormone replacement therapy (including estrogen and progesterone) taken during menopause can increase the risk of breast cancer when taken for more than five years. Certain oral contraceptives (birth control pills) have also been found to increase the risk of breast cancer.

– Reproductive history. Pregnancy for the first time after age 35, not breastfeeding, and never having a full-term pregnancy increase the risk of breast cancer.

– Drinking alcohol. Studies have shown that women’s risk of breast cancer increases with alcohol consumption.

While sharing these risk factors, Pink Caravan also clarified that having a risk factor does not mean that a person will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect. Most women have some risk factors, and great care must be taken to avoid and/or change those risk factors that can be avoided and/or changed.

Survival rates for breast cancer have improved significantly, and deaths associated with the disease are steadily declining, largely due to factors such as early detection, new personalized treatments, and a better understanding of the disease.

Also read: