Age is likely the most important overall factor associated with breast cancer risk. Breast cancer risk increases in the older post-menopausal population. For this reason, all breast cancer screening recommendations are based primarily on age. Obesity, however, may be the single most preventable risk factor associated with breast cancer. With the dramatic increase in obesity in the U.S., this may be the number one reason for a persistently high incidence in breast cancer. Other physical factors also play some roles in breast cancer risk. These include height, body shape, breast size, and mammographic density. These physical factors are summarized below.
Body Weight and Breast Cancer: A woman’s body weight does affect her risk of breast cancer but the effect is different for premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer. Most studies have found that heavier women (weighing more than 175 pounds) have a lower risk of breast cancer before menopause and higher risk of breast cancer after menopause, compared to thinner women (weighing less than 130 pounds). Since 80% of breast cancers occur after menopause, the negative effects of obesity far outweigh the beneficial effects. The results are the same whether body weight is examined directly or if body mass index is used to adjust for the effects of height on body weight. Continue reading ‘Age And Physical Risk Factors In Breast Cancer’ »