While there is no known cause of breast cancer, certain factors can increase your risk. Having one or more risk factors does not mean you will develop breast cancer.
Studies link the following with increased risk of breast cancer:
- Age 50 and older
- Inherited gene mutations
- Family history of breast cancer
- Dense breast tissue
- Starting periods before age 12
- Menopause after age 55
- Having your first child after age 30
- Taking estrogen and progesterone after menopause
- Certain breast conditions, including atypical hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)
- Not breastfeeding
- Alcohol use or smoking
- Being overweight or obese
One in three women diagnosed with breast cancer has no known risk factors. That's why regular screening is so important.
High-Risk Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention
If you have a higher risk of breast cancer, the Bryan High Risk and Cancer Prevention Clinic can help you better understand your risk and develop a personalized screening plan.
You also may benefit from genetic counseling and testing if you have a family history of breast cancer.
If a screening mammogram or symptom raises concern, additional testing may be needed to determine whether breast cancer is present and whether it has spread.
Diagnostic Mammogram and 3D Mammography
A diagnostic mammogram provides additional images to evaluate an area of concern. A 3D mammogram creates detailed views of breast tissue that help radiologists detect abnormalities.
Breast Ultrasound
Breast ultrasound uses sound waves to examine areas identified on a mammogram and helps determine whether a finding is a fluid-filled cyst or a solid mass.
Breast MRI
Breast MRI provides highly detailed images of breast tissue and may be used for screening high-risk patients or evaluating specific areas of concern.
Biopsy
A biopsy removes a small sample of breast tissue for laboratory testing. If cancer is found, specialists examine the cells to identify characteristics that help guide treatment decisions.
If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, you and your doctors will put together a treatment plan specific for you. The plan will consider the unique characteristics of your tumor, the stage or extent of your cancer, your overall health and your personal preferences.
Your treatment plan will be made up of one or more specific treatments to target the cancer cells and reduce your risk of the cancer coming back.
Surgical Treatment Options
- Lumpectomy
Also known as breast-conserving surgery, is the removal of only the tumor and a small amount of surrounding tissue
- Mastectomy
The removal of all of the breast tissue
- Lymph node removal
- Sentinel Lymph Node Removal (Biopsy)
A sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node cancer is likely to spread to from a primary tumor. A sentinel lymph node biopsy is the procedure to identify, examine and remove the first lymph node to which cancer is likely to spread.
- Axillary Lymph Node Dissection
Axillary lymph node dissection is when 10 or more lymph nodes are removed. This can take place during lumpectomy and mastectomy if the biopsy shows that breast cancer has spread outside the milk duct. Some people qualify for this less-invasive surgery.
- Breast reconstruction
The rebuilding of the breast after mastectomy and sometimes lumpectomy. Reconstruction can take place at the same time as cancer-removing surgery, or months to years later. Some women decide not to have reconstruction or opt for a prosthesis
Find a breast surgical oncologist
Additional Treatment Options
- Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. It may be given before surgery to shrink a tumor, after surgery to reduce the risk of recurrence or to treat breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast.
- Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses targeted, high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells that may remain after surgery. It is often recommended after a lumpectomy and, in some cases, after a mastectomy to help reduce the risk of cancer returning.
- Hormonal Therapy
Hormonal therapy, also called anti-estrogen therapy, treats hormone receptor-positive breast cancers by:
- Lowering the amount of estrogen in the body
- Blocking the effects of estrogen on breast cancer cells
- Clinical Trials
Clinical trials evaluate promising new treatments and therapies and may provide access to options not yet widely available.
