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Breast Cancer Risk and Prevention

There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer. But there are things you can do that might lower your risk, such as changing risk factors that are under your control. 

Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

A risk factor is anything that increases your chances of getting a disease, such as cancer. But having a risk factor, or even many, does not mean that you are sure to get the disease. While you can’t change some breast cancer risk factors—family history and aging, for example—there are some risk factors that you can control.

Can Breast Cancer Be Prevented?

There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer. But there are things you can do that might lower your risk. This can be especially helpful for women with certain risk factors for breast cancer, such as having a strong family history or certain inherited gene changes.