Breast cancer risks you didn’t know about

Apart from the known factors that can up your chance of developing breast cancer, there could other culprits that you don't pay heed to. Read on to know all about them.

By: Editorial Team | | Published: March 28, 2019 1:29 pm

Doctors are of the opinion that women who have no children or give birth or after 30 have a higher chance of developing breast cancer. © Shutterstock

Breast cancer is one of the most common female cancers in India and worldwide. According to the data shared by cancerindia.org, 1 in 28 Indian women is at the risk of developing this cancer at some point of time in life. However, the risk is lower in the rural part of the country. While 1 in 22 urban Indian women is likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, the figure for their rural counterpart is 1 in 60. The chance of developing this cancer increases in the early 30s.It is the highest between 50-64 years.

When the cells in your breast region divide abnormally, the phenomenon manifests itself through a cancerous tumour or lump. Though research and experts haven’t yet been able to confirm the causes behind breast cancer, there are various factors that can up your breast cancer risk, the most common among them being alcohol addiction, smoking, obesity, genetic predisposition, family history, abnormal sleep cycle and an unhealthy diet rich in saturated fats. Apart from these, there are several other risk factors that we are unaware of. While the presence of these risk factors, known or unknown, does not confirm the possibility of you developing breast cancer, their absence also doesn’t guarantee 100 per cent protection against the disease. But awareness about your risk factors will prompt you to be more cautious about your breast health encouraging regular self-examination. This can go a long way in early detection and treatment of breast cancer, which increases your chance of successful recovery. Here are the surprising risk factors of this deadly disease that you didn’t know about.

A protein named fibronectin
A new paper published in the Journal of Cell Biology has uncovered that exposure to a protein called fibronectin prolongs the activity of oestrogen in breast cancer cells, a driving factor behind breast cancer. The study, reported by ANI, shows a novel mechanism of oestrogen receptor signalling that is regulated by fibronectin, which is part of the extracellular matrix, the meshwork of proteins and molecules that surrounds cells. Oestrogen plays a key role in the development of healthy cells and, in many cases, cancerous cells too. Too much oestrogen receptor activity can cause cells to proliferate rapidly, leading to tumour growth. About 75 per cent of breast cancers are considered oestrogen receptor positive because this hormone causes those cancers to propagate.

Previous research has shown that high levels of fibronectin and its receptor ß1-integrin correlate with lower breast cancer survival, but it was not known why.The findings of this research suggest that therapeutic methods that interfere with fibronectin’s influence on the oestrogen receptor could help treat drug-resistant breast cancers.

Cosmetics

Apart from taking your breast cancer risk up, they can affect your fertility negatively. © Shutterstock

Beauty products contain certain chemicals that through female hormones out of balance. They are known as endocrine mimickers. An endocrine mimicker, such as xenoestrogen, imitates the behaviour of the female hormone oestrogen. Apart from taking your breast cancer risk up, they can also affect your fertility negatively. So, go for safer options like herbal products.

High breast density

Women with high breast density are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer. © Shutterstock

Your breasts are constituted of three types of tissue: Fatty tissue, fibrous tissue, and glandular tissue. Your doctor will identify you as one with dense breasts if your mammogram shows that the ratio of fibrous and glandular tissues is higher than fatty tissue. According to the American Cancer Society, women with high breast density are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those with average breast density.

Hormonal birth control pills

They are likely to increase a woman’s breast cancer risk. © Shutterstock

Birth control methods like oral contraceptives and intrauterine device contain certain hormones. They are likely to increase a woman’s breast cancer risk, suggest oncologists.

Post-menopause hormone therapy

Therapies like oestrogen and progesterone which can be helpful during menopause can cause breast cancer. © Shutterstock

Your gynaecologist may suggest hormone therapy with oestrogen and progesterone once you hit menopause. They help in controlling the symptoms of this natural phenomenon. However, these therapies may have more risks than benefits. They can increase your chance of developing breast cancer and be responsible for a delayed diagnosis as well. These therapies also up the risk of heart ailments, blood clots, and strokes. So, talk to your doctor in detail before going in for post-menopause hormone therapy in order to assess the risk-benefit ratio properly.

Late pregnancy

Women who have no children or give birth or after 30 may get breast cancer, say experts. © Shutterstock

Doctors are of the opinion that women who have no children or give birth or after 30 have a higher chance of developing breast cancer. However, they haven’t yet been able to figure out the reason behind this link. “Pregnancy causes extensive changes to the breasts, making breast cells less likely to multiply, and also less likely to develop tumours—which could explain the protective effect of pregnancy for younger women. However, it is unclear why becoming a first-time mother at an older age has the opposite effect. After age 35, breast tissue is more likely to have accumulated cells carrying cancer-causing mutations, or clusters of abnormal cells with the potential to become cancerous: however, it was not known how these cells were affected by a late-age first pregnancy,” notes a study published in eLife, a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal.

Avoiding breastfeeding

Lactation can reduce your risk of breast cancer. © Shutterstock

There are reams of research that associate lactation with a reduced risk of breast cancer. According to scientific studies, if a woman breastfeeds for one and a half to two years, her menstrual cycles over a lifetime will decrease, which could be a possible factor behind risk reduction. Moreover, lactation is known to make your breast cells resistant to cancer-causing mutations and interrupt ovulation, factors that can contribute to the protective factor. Additionally, other physiological changes that are caused by milk production may reduce your risk of breast cancer too.

Late menopause

Longtime exposure to hormones like oestrogen and progesterone can cause breast cancer. © Shutterstock

Late menopause means more menstrual cycles. If you hit menopause at the age of 55 instead of 45 or 50, that means you are exposed to hormones like oestrogen and progesterone for a longer period of time in your life. This escalates your chance of developing breast cancer.

Early onset of menstrual cycle

Experiencing your first period early on, say, at the age of 10 or 12, will again, mean higher number of menstrual cycles and longer exposure to oestrogen and progesterone. THis could be the driving factor behind your elevated risk of breast cancer.

Exposure to radiation in childhood

Have you undergone radiation therapy for cancer in the early years of your life? Well, that can also up your breast cancer risk. The risk magnifies if you received the radiation when you were a teenager or adolescent because your breasts were at the formative stage back then.

(With inputs from ANI)

Published : March 28, 2019 1:29 pm

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