The Risk Factors of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cancer killer among women, after lung cancer (Breast Cancer , 2014). Cancer is a word that puts fear in many people, especially if they have family members who have either died or survived the disease. No one wants to hear that he or she has been diagnosed with any disease, especially cancer. Many women do not take breast cancer serious until they are diagnosed. Sadly, once diagnosed with this epidemic, a person’s life is altered forever. Breast cancer does not discriminate and can happen to anyone at any age. To prevent this disease, one must take the necessary precautions to lower the risk factors. In fact, there are several local and national events to remind people of breast cancer’s existence. Many people do not know this, but there are numerous ways that they can protect themselves against this disease or find the ailment early enough that it can be treated. If breast cancer is found early enough, it is fairly easy to treat. With today’s technology, most women survive breast cancer. I recently had a friend diagnosed with this illness at age of 40. She has undergone a difficult and exasperating journey as she has lost both breasts and is undergoing chemotherapy at this point. In addition to chemotherapy, other forms of treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccine therapy. While this disease usually occurs in women, men are also at risk for this ailment. Although, breast cancer can be hereditary, according to research, there are quite a few additional risk factors.

The strongest and most common risk factor for breast cancer is age. As women get older, the threat for this disease rises. In the United States, breast cancer is the most common non-skin cancer (B...

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...any questions or concerns he or she may have along with the yearly checkups and self-exams, then hopefully the statistics could continue to decline. Finally, with time and technology, breast cancer could become obsolete.

Works Cited

Aronson, K. (2003). Alcohol: A recently identified risk factor for breast cancer. Canadian Medical Association, 1147-8.

Breast Cancer . (2014). Retrieved from American Cancer Society: www.cancer.org

Breast Cancer Risk Factors. (2010). Chain Drug Review, 32 (18), 82 .

Cauley, J., Song, A., Jingli, Dowsett, Mershon, S. A., & Cumings, J. A. (2007). Risk factors for breast cancer in older women: the relative contribution to bone mineral density and other established risk factors. Breast Cancer Res Treatment, 102: 181-188.

Port, D. (2013). Stopping Breast Cancer. Prevention, 65 (10), 95-105.

womenshealth.org. (2012, July 16).