Genetics are not the only causes, 5 factors that increase the chances of getting breast cancerDr. Kim Sung-won, Breast Surgeon at Daelim St. Mary's Hospital

Genetics are not the only causes, 5 factors that increase the chances of getting breast cancerDr. Kim Sung-won, Breast Surgeon at Daelim St. Mary's Hospital

Dec 18, 2024Ehotyshamull Joy

 

  1. Older women

The biggest risk factor for breast cancer is the gender of a woman. The number of female breast cancer patients is 100 times higher than the number of male breast cancer patients'Age is also an important risk factorLike other cancers, breast cancer is associated with a greater risk of developing with age.

 

2. When you have a long period of estrogen exposure

The longer you are exposed to the female hormone estrogen, the higher your risk of breast cancer. The cells that make up the parenchymal tissue of the breast proliferate and differentiate primarily under the stimulation of estrogen, and the proliferation and differentiation of these cells leads to the increase of modified cells and causes cancer.

 

So, when does estrogen exposure lengthen? First, when you have a long period. It's when you have early menarche and late menopause and have a lot of menstruation.

 

Second, not being pregnant can also increase your risk of developing breast cancer. This is because you don't get your period during pregnancy. There are also studies that show that nuns and nuns who do not marry and give birth are more likely to develop breast cancer. Even if you do get pregnant, if you are pregnant after the age of 30, you have a higher risk of breast cancer because you are more affected by estrogen than if you had your first pregnancy before that.

Third, if you are not breastfeeding. While breastfeeding, menstruation is temporarily interrupted, so women who are not breastfeeding are less affected by estrogen.

 

Fourth, if you are taking female hormone drugs. It has been reported that postmenopausal women who use estrogen and progestins as a combination of female hormone replacement therapy have a slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer. However, many years after stopping the use of hormone therapy, the risk of developing breast cancer from the use of hormone therapy disappears. Estrogen alone has no effect on the development of breast cancer.

 

Fifth, if you are taking oral contraceptives. If you have been taking oral contraceptives containing estrogen and progestins before the age of 20 or if you have taken them for a long time, your risk of developing breast cancer increases. However, if you stop taking the pill, the risk of breast cancer from taking the pill disappears. Short-term use of oral contraceptives does not increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

 

3. You have a family history of breast cancer

If any of your mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, or aunts have breast cancer, you may have a family history of breast cancer. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your risk of developing breast cancer is 3~4 times higher. This is because they are more likely to share their eating habits and lifestyle habits with their families. There is also a greater chance that a mutation in the breast cancer gene will be detected. If you have a gene mutation, you have a 60~80% chance of developing breast cancer in your lifetime.

 

4. Frequent exposure to light pollution

If you are constantly exposed to light at night, melatonin secretion is suppressed, and estrogen is released in greater quantities. For this reason, women who work night shifts have a higher risk of breast cancer. A 10-year study of nurses who worked night shifts three or more times a month found that they had a 36% higher incidence of breast cancer than a group of women who followed a normal pattern. In addition, various electronic devices that we cannot let go of until the moment we fall asleep also cause light pollution and interfere with the secretion of melatonin.

 

5. Westernized eating habits, obesity, and alcohol consumption

The Westernized diet, which consists mainly of meat and fat and relatively few fruits and vegetables, increases estrogen in the blood, increasing the risk of developing breast cancer. In addition, eating high-calorie, fatty foods in childhood can lead to premature menarche due to precocious puberty and, as a result, an increased risk of breast cancer. Being obese after menopause is also very dangerous. This is because estrogen is produced by the ovaries before menopause and by adipose tissue after menopause. Postmenopausal obese women have higher estrogen levels and a higher risk of breast cancer than normal-weight women.

 

There are studies that show that consuming 10g of alcohol a day increases the risk of breast cancer by 7~10%. 10 grams of alcohol is equivalent to 25 ml of whiskey with an alcohol content of 40%, 40 ml of shochu with 25% alcohol, 85 ml of wine with 12% alcohol, and 250 ml of beer with 4% alcohol.Acetaldehyde, an alcohol metabolite, is a well-known carcinogen. Alcohol increases the secretion of estrogen and androgens in the body, which makes it even more dangerous when it comes to breast cancer. Therefore, you should be careful not to drink more than two drinks per week.

 



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