- Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 8 cancer diagnoses worldwide; hence it is important that people know how to mitigate their own risk.
- A new study has found that many women are unaware of the risk factors and how they can help reduce their breast cancer risk.
- The study identified breast density as a risk factor that few women were aware of.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer globally, with cases predicted to rise to 3 million by 2040, according to researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. They also note that 1 in 8 cancer diagnoses is for breast cancer, and 2.3 million cases were diagnosed worldwide in 2020.
There are some risk factors, such as genetic predisposition, that a person cannot change, but lifestyle changes can help reduce the risk of breast cancer. These include being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol consumption, and not smoking.
New research, published in
And almost one-third of those surveyed believed there was nothing they could do to reduce their personal risk.
Most participants in the study were aware that having a first-degree relative increases the risk of breast cancer, but few knew that breast density was a risk factor.
High breast density may increase breast cancer risk by 1.2 to 4 times, whereas having a close relative with breast cancer doubles risk.
“[Breast density] a term we have not used for a long period of time, and I can’t remember a decade back that we would be talking to women about breast density, so as a risk factor, it’s relatively newly understood.”
Denser breasts contain more glandular and fibrous tissue than fatty tissue. About half of women have more dense breasts, generally those who are younger…
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