Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer for women in India. Every year, breast cancer accounts for up to 15% of all cancer detected in Indian women. Even though breast cancer awareness has improved significantly in the country over the last decade, it still has a significantly high mortality rate of over 80,000 deaths per year. Understanding the causes and risk factors for breast cancer is crucial in diagnosing the condition early.

An early diagnosis improves your chances of better medical outcome with significantly higher survival rates. So, let’s understand the causes of breast cancer and its various risk factors to better understand when you should start with screening tests and look for any symptoms. But first, let’s understand what breast cancer is, and how it affects your body.

What is Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the abnormal cell growth in the lining of breast ducts and lobules. These cancerous cell growths have the potential to spread to other parts of your body. Breast cancer is most common among women, but it can also affect men in rare cases. Transwomen can also be affected by breast cancer. If the condition is diagnosed at an early stage, the cancer can be treated and prevented from spreading to other parts of the body. Based on the risk factors for breast cancer, it is very important to monitor the symptoms of breast cancer from the ages of 40 onwards. Here are some of the most common symptoms of breast cancer.

• Changes to the skin over your breast like dimpling
• Changes to the size and shape of your breast
• A lump in the breast or thickening that feels different from the surrounding tissues
• An inverted nipple that has appeared recently
• Scaling, flaking, crusting, or peeling of the breast skin, especially around the areola.

These symptoms need to be monitored and reported to your doctor immediately to understand the risk factors of breast cancer. Doctors may also recommend you to get mammograms after a certain age, even if you don’t exhibit these symptoms immediately. Now let’s explore the various causes of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Causes 

The exact cause for breast cancer is not fully understood. However, several factors can contribute to the emergence of a complex condition like breast cancer. Here are the most common contributing factors of breast cancer that can cause the disease.

• Age: Women over the age of 50 are at the highest risk for breast cancer. The risk of breast cancer is most prominent in women over the age of 40, with the risk increasing per year. Doctors often recommend women to get annual breast cancer screening tests after the age of 50, even if symptoms are not present.
   
• Family History: A history of breast cancer in the immediate family like mother, sister, or daughter can increase your risk of breast cancer. It is important to note that certain genetic factors can also alter your predisposition to breast cancer. If your family has an Ashkenazi Jewish heritage, you may also have a predisposition to breast cancer.
   
• Hormonal Factors: Women who have started their periods before the age of 12 or have had a late menopause are considered high risk for breast cancer. Similarly, women who have not gone through any pregnancy or have opted for late pregnancies are also considered high risk for breast cancer. Women going through hormone replacement therapy after menopause can also be a contributing cause for breast cancer.
   
• Lifestyle Factors: Consuming alcohol, not having enough physical activity in your daily routine, and being overweight can be contributing causes for breast cancer. You need to note that these lifestyle choices need to be reprimanded as soon as possible to lower your risk factors. They will also help you lead a healthier life in general.
   
• Medical History: If you have had breast cancer in one breast, the risk of getting it increases for your other breast. Similarly, other non cancerous conditions like lobular carcinoma in situ and atypical hyperplasia can also be contributing causes for breast cancer in individuals. Underlying conditions aside, exposure to radiation during your years of adolescence can increase your risk of breast cancer and be a contributing reason.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

Breast cancer is a complex physical condition and is often caused by a variety of risk factors. Any one risk factor may be solely responsible, but generally, diagnosis proves that various lifestyle and underlying health conditions contribute to breast cancer. So let’s review the various risk factors for breast cancer.

• Age of over 40 is considered a risk factor for breast cancer
• Family history of breast cancer among immediate family members like mother, sister, or daughter
• A personal history of being diagnosed with breast cancer in the past can also increase your risk for the disease recurrence in the other breast.
• Early menstruation that starts before the age of 12 and late menopause are risk factors for the disease
• Exposure to radiation in adolescence is a risk factor for breast cancer
• Dense breast tissues are a risk factor for breast cancer
• Lifestyle factors like an unhealthy or unbalanced diet, obesity, and lack of movement in regular life can be contributing factors to breast cancer.
• Using hormone replacement therapy after menopause

Emerging Risk Factors

Emerging risk factors for breast cancer are causes that are being studied currently and those that are contributing factors among patients of breast cancer. Following these emerging risk factors can help you practice the best preventative measures for breast cancer.

• Low vitamin D levels have been associated with a higher risk of breast cancer
• Exposure to harmful chemicals in food, hair products, and cosmetics are considered a risk factor for breast cancer
• Exposure to light at night namely among women who work at night are considered to be at a higher risk for breast cancer than women who work only during the day

Conclusion

Now that you know about the causes of breast cancer, it is important to monitor them as you age. An early diagnosis is crucial in helping you treat breast cancer. It helps with better medical outcomes as well as an easier treatment process overall. So, make sure you monitor the risk factors and symptoms mentioned in this article and take care of your health overall. To learn more about breast cancer treatment options, feel free to visit MASSH. We specialize in functional medicine and minimally invasive procedures that can help you beat breast cancer effectively. Check out our website or visit us today to avail our world-class medical services.