2. Risk Factors
• Alcohol drinking
• Being overweight
• Never having children
• 1st child >30yrs of age
• Hormone Replacement
therapy
• Birth control pills
• Being exposed to large
amounts of radiation
• Smoking
Controllable
• Getting older
• First degree relative with
breast cancer
• A previous breast biopsy
showing atypical changes
• Being young (<12) at the
time of menses
• Starting menopause after
age 55
• Having an inherited
mutation in the breast
cancer genes (BRCA 1 or 2)
Uncontrollable
3. Age
The risk of getting
breast cancer
increases with age
More common at
middle age but can
occur at any age
group after 20 years
A woman is likely to
develop breast
cancer in her 60s
than in her 20s
4. By age 30 1 out of 2,000
By age 40 1 out of 233
By age 50 1 out of 53
By age 60 1 out of 22
By age 70 1 out of 13
By age 80 1 out of 9
Lifetime risk 1 out of 8
5. Gender
Breast cancer occurs nearly 100
times more often in women
than in men.
In a few African countries,
which represent the highest
incidence of male breast cancer,
men account for 5–15% of
breast cancer cases
Because awareness among men
is less and they are less likely to
assume a lump is breast cancer,
which can cause a delay in
seeking treatment.
6. Family History and Genetic Factors
Only 5-10% of breast cancers are
inherited.
Families that do have genetic defects in
one of two genes, breast cancer gene 1
(BRCA1) or breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2),
have a much greater risk of developing
both breast and ovarian cancer.
7. BRCA1 & BRCA2 MUTATION
Both BRCA1 (located on long arm of chromosome 17) &
BRCA2 (located on long arm of chromosome 13) function
as a tumor suppressor genes, and for each genes loss of
both alleles is required for the initiation of cancer.
BRCA1 having more risk(35%-45%) than BRCA2 mutation.
Commonest mutation of BRCA1 are 185delAG &
5382insC
8. HER2 OVEREXPRESSION
HER2. Amplification or overexpression
of this oncogene increase development
and progression of certain aggressive
types of breast cancer.
It is located at the chromosome 17q12.
9. Occasionally mutation of BRCA3 & p53suppressor also involved.
Non-BRCA1 and non-BRCA2 breast tumors may be associated to rare syndromes,
of which breast cancer is only one component. Such syndromes result notably
from mutations in TP53 (Li-Fraumeni syndrome), ATM (Ataxia
Telangiectasia), PTEN (Cowden syndrome)
RAB11FIP1, and rs4973768 are also associated with increased risk of breast
cancer. rs6504950 is associated with lower risk of breast cancer
17. Controllable Risk factors
Weight. Being overweight, with excess
caloric and fat intake, increases risk,
especially after menopause due to
conversion of androstenedione to
estrone by adipose tissue.
Age at childbirth. Having first child
after age 35 or never having children
increase risk.
18. Dietary factors
Alcohol. Consumption of alcohol is linked to
increased risk of developing breast cancer. Consume
2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1.5 times risk.
Fat . Low fat diet may significantly decrease the risk
of breast cancer as well as the recurrence of breast
cancer.
Calcium. A high dietary intake of calcium lower the
risk of breast cancer.
19. Dietary factors
Vitamin D. Vitamin D is related to reduced risk
of breast cancer and disease prognosis.
Specific dietary fatty acids. Very high
consumption of omega-6 fatty acids (PUFAs)
increase the risk breast cancer in
postmenopausal women.
20. Hormonal contraception. Hormonal contraceptive with
estrogen content may produce a slight increase in the risk of
breast cancer. women who began using hormonal
contraceptives before the age of 20 or before their first full-
term pregnancy are at increased risk for breast cancer
Hormone replacement therapy. Taking combined hormone
replacement therapy, as prescribed for menopause, can
increase your risk for breast cancer and increases the risk
that the cancer will be detected at a more advanced stage.
Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs). they
selectively stimulate or inhibit the estrogen receptors of
different target tissues.
21. Tobacco. Exposure to tobacco
smoke is most problematic
between puberty and first
childbirth . The reason is that
breast tissue appears most
sensitive to chemical carcinogens
breast cells not fully differentiated
until lactation
Passive smoking. it increases
breast cancer risk by 70% in
younger, primarily pre-menopausal
women.
Radiation. Women who have
received high-dose radiation to the
chest have a relative risk of breast
cancer between 2.1 to
4.0.Radiation exposure during
adolescence, magnifies deleterious
effect.
22. Ethylene oxide. A direct correlation between breast
cancer rates and exposure to ethylene oxide during
medical sterilization processes.
Benzene. High level of benzene exposure can lead to
mammary cancer.
DDT. Exposure to DDT before puberty increases the risk
of breast cancer later in life.
23. Dioxins. Dioxin level
exposure in a woman's
body correlated with a
more than double chance
of developing breast
cancer.
Aromatic amines. More
exposure to heterocyclic
amines, have also been
diagnosed with more
post-menopausal breast
cancer.
Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon. PAH's
bioaccumulate easily and
can copy the estrogen
hormone & they have
the ability to harm DNA
24. Factors in the physical environment
Xenoestrogens . Increasing prevalence of these
substances in the environment may explain the
increasing incidence of breast cancer
Light at night & disturbance of circadian
rhythm. Artificial light during the night can be a
factor for breast cancer by disrupting
melatonin levels
25. White women are more likely to be diagnosed with the
disease.
Black women are more likely to have estrogen receptor
negative breast cancers.
Mortality higher among black women.
26. Abortion. First-trimester abortion increases the
risk of developing breast cancer.
Deodorants. Aluminum-containing underarm
antiperspirants underarm increased risk of breast
cancer .
Viruses. Human papilloma virus, human
cytomegalovirus and the Epstein-Barr virus are
suspected to play a role or cause breast cancer
27. Tea. moderate green or black
tea consumption (three or
more cups per day) can
reduce breast cancer risk.
Mammographic density. High
mammographic density is
associated with a higher risk
of developing breast cancer.
Red no 3. human breast cell
DNA was found positive for
damage when put into
contact with Red No. 3
