Causes of Breast Cancer

Causes of the breast cancer are still largely unknown, although breast cancer is one of the most common forms of the disease and probably the one that has been most studied. As with other forms of cancer, medicine has emphasized on a few natural and artificial factors that are believed to have a huge effect in the formation of breast cancer cells.

These include one’s age, daily diet, alcohol consumption, use of hormonal-disrupting medication or exposure to certain types of light. Besides these proven factors that hold a relative certainty, as a cause of breast cancer, there are a few other unproven ones, such as the use of aluminum salts (found in anti-per spirants) or even abortion, which is thought to disturb the hormone and estrogen levels of a woman, increasing the risk of breast cancer. Many institutions and scientific studies have heavily combated the latter view on abortion, so the effect it might have as a cause for breast cancer is purely hypothetical and unproven.

There is currently a lot of interest and research connecting genetics and breast cancer.

BRACA1 Gene

The abnormal gene, BRCA1 when inherited increases the risk of developing breast cancer to almost 85%. Those women who have this abnormal gene also have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. The BRACA1 gene increases the risk for a woman to develop breast cancer at an early age.

BRACA2 Gene

Another abnormal gene, BRACA2 increases the risk of a woman developing breast cancer, even though, this does not include ovarian cancer. It is very expensive to test for these genes and most medical insurances do not cover the cost. Those women who test positive will also find difficulties obtaining medical insurance. Those who wish to be tested should discuss their options with their doctor as the issues around testing are very complicated.

Causes of Breast Cancer: Menstrual Periods

Also, other influences can affect the development of breast cancer. Those women who begin their menstrual periods at an early age or have a late menopause have a greater chance of developing breast cancer. Having an early menopause or being older at the first menstrual period can protect one from breast cancer.

Causes of Breast Cancer: Age

Let’s look at the “proven” causes for breast cancer, since; after all, these are the ones of interest. Age for example is one such cause and it has been scientifically proven that the risk of getting breast cancer increases with age. Studies have shown that for a woman living to the age of 90, the chances of her suffering from breast cancer during her lifetime are roughly around 12-13%. Men can also be affected by breast cancer and age is a causing factor for them as it is for women; however, the same study shows that for a male of the same age, the risk of getting breast cancer during his lifetime is by far lower, around 125 times lower than for women.

Bearing a child before the age of 30 years can decrease the risk of breast cancer, and unfortunately, statistics show those women who have not had any children are more likely to develop it. So far, oral contraceptives have not proved to increase or decrease a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer.

Following extensive research, it has been found there is an increase in the risk of developing breast cancer in postmenopausal women who have been on a combination of estrogen and progesterone replacements for several years. It is therefore important to discuss the pros and cons with a medical professional if you are considering any kind of hormone therapy.

Causes of Breast Cancer: Diet

Diet can also play a role in the risk factor of breast cancer, as it seems to occur more frequently in countries having higher intake of fat. It is thought that this is due to an environmental influence rather than being genetic. A good example to illustrate this is in Japan .

Japanese women are at a low breast cancer risk whilst they are in Japan but their risk increases once they begin to reside in the United States where their environment and diet tends to differ.

However, studies so far, which have compared groups of women with high and low fat diets, have failed to show a difference in the rates of developing breast cancer.

Alcohol Consumption

Another cause for increased breast cancer is alcohol consumption. Studies have shown that almost 7% of breast cancer cases are caused by alcohol consumption from the patient and it’s proven that the risk of getting breast cancer is roughly 8% higher for women drinking at least two alcohol units per day than for those who drink less, or don’t drink at all. It has not yet been medically attested whether the type of alcohol affects the risk rate or not, but some studies suggest that wine and “strong alcohols” might have a more pronounced effect in this matter.

Fibrocystic Breasts

Breast changes such as fibrocystic are very common. Fibrocystic Breasts are lumpy with thickened tissue and cause discomfort, particularly before a menstrual period. It is important to note however, this condition does not lead to breast cancer.

There are certain types of gentle changes in the breast such as proliferative or hyperplastic, which are diagnosed via biopsy that predispose women to later development of breast cancer. These women should have regular breast examinations.

Radiation Treatment

There are other factors, which can cause breast cancer such as radiation treatment. Although radiation can increase the development of breast cancer, this is only following a long delay, such as 15 years.

Although the above-mentioned causes are the most important ones, a few more are worth taking into consideration. Obesity for example has also been shown to increase the risk for breast cancer, because not only people suffering from obesity usually have a diet that allows or even encourages breast cancer to develop, but also because of the hormonal problems that come with it.

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