Inheriting a mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes possesses a greater risk of developing breast cancer. However, people who inherit these genes have about 80% of developing breast cancer.
Moreover, the causes of breast cancer are still unknown, but researchers have found that oestrogen, a hormone produced by the ovary can trigger the mutation on the normal functioning BRCA genes. Research shows that the longer the oestrogen, the greater the risk of developing breast cancer. For example, a woman who experiences menopause after the age 55years has a greater risk of ovarian and breast cancer than if a woman began menstruating before the age of 12. However, other causes of breast cancer are:.
Age: the higher the age the greater the risk.
Gender: breast cancer is much common in women than in men.
Genetic risk factor: hereditary genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2 can increase the risk.
Personal history of breast cancer: A woman with cancer in one breast has greater chance of getting it in the other.
Race: white women are more likely to get breast cancer than an African-black woman.
Hereditary breast cancer can either be invasive (spreading) or non-invasive (non-spreading). An invasive breast cancer is one that penetrates through the wall of the ducts. This type of cancer is one of the most common, constituting of about 80% several cases. Also, both invasive and non-invasive can also be *Infiltrating lobular carcinoma spreads to other parts of the body which accounts for 83% of a breast cancer. This type of cancer is likely to be found on either breasts or separate locations of the body. Women are a thousand times more likely to get breast cancer than men. At the age of 40, the possibilities are 1 in 217 men. However, women younger than 30years account for only 25% of all breast cancer cases as compared to older women with 65%. In general, out of the total population of breast cancer patients, about 5% is hereditary.
