Breast Cancer: Are you at risk? How much? Risk calculator.

Continuing the October thinking pink blogs, I thought I’d educate you Bay Area moms on your breast cancer risk.

If you are female, you are at risk.  That being said, there are things which show you have an increased risk.

RISK

• Genetics.  Strong family history, including the BRCA gene.
• Prior breast cancer in you.  History of LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ- means it hasn’t gotten out of the breast) or DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ- again hasn’t gotten out of the breast), or invasive lobular or ductal cancer.
• Age. 
• How long have you had uninterrupted menses?  In English, they will ask you how old were you when you got your period? (Earlier is riskier)  Have you had children? (When pregnant, you don’t get your period= protective) Did you breastfeed? (Also protective)
• Have you had any kind of biopsies/growths? What was the pathology?  We know atypical hyperplasia and sclerosing adenosis put you at higher risk. 
• Race/ethnicity

There is a breast cancer risk calculator.  For those of you Palo Alto moms who read too much on the internet, don’t let your mind go amok.  Remember this is a risk calculator.  This is not a guarantee you are going to get it.

http://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/