Take the Quiz: Breast Cancer

Most women diagnosed with breast cancer – more than 85% – have no family history of the disease. Having a relative with breast cancer does increase your risk. But other factors such as age, being overweight, alcohol use, and hormone therapy after menopause can also increase your risk of developing breast cancer.

Having breast cancer in your family doesn’t guarantee you’ll get it. In fact, most women who get breast cancer don't have a family history of it. Some breast cancers are related to gene changes that are inherited from a parent. But many times, cancer runs in families because family members have similar lifestyle habits – habits you can control and change to lower your risk of breast cancer. This includes staying at a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity, and limiting or avoiding alcohol. If you suspect you might have an inherited gene mutation, talk to your doctor about genetic counseling. The most common mutations that increase breast cancer risk are in the BRCA genes.

Knowing your family history empowers you to tackle the risk factors you can control. It should also motivate you to get screened regularly so that breast cancer is caught early – when it’s small, hasn’t spread, and is easier to treat. Talk to your doctor about your risk, when you need to start screening, and whether you need extra tests beyond mammograms.

Getting older is not a reason to skip regular breast health checks. In fact, your risk of developing breast cancer goes up as you get older. About 2 out of 3 invasive breast cancers are found in women age 55 or older. As long as you’re in good health you should continue getting mammograms.

More than 2,500 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Men should not ignore breast lumps and should get any breast changes checked. Still, breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than men, with more than 260,000 women diagnosed in each year.

Needle biopsies to diagnose breast cancer do not cause cancer cells to spread to other parts of the body. Nor does exposure to air during breast cancer surgery cause the disease to spread. Sometimes a surgeon does find more cancer than the imaging scans or X-rays showed, but in those cases the cancer was already there. It just hadn't shown up on tests that were done.

While you can't change certain risk factors - like getting older or having a family history of breast cancer - you can do a lot to help reduce your breast cancer risk. Exercise more and eat healthier, especially if you’re overweight or obese. And limit or eliminate alcohol. Being responsible about your health can go a long way.