Breast cancer can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or family history. In fact, 85% of women diagnosed with it have no family history. Some risk factors can’t be changed—being born female, dense breast tissue, genetics or genetic changes like the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, early menstruation, or late menopause due to hormones, among other things. Some risk factors you can change though, such as your alcohol usage, weight, not having children and not breastfeeding or having breast implants and using birth control, along with other risk factors. For many women, making certain lifestyle changes can reduce their risk. Learn more about breast cancer risk factors.
