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Breast Cancer Prevention

The risk of breast cancer increases gradually as a woman gets older. This disease is uncommon in women under the age of 35.

All women age 40 and older are at risk for breast cancer. However, most breast cancers occur in women over the age of 50, and the risk is especially high for women over age 60.

At this time, there is no way to prevent breast cancer. A woman's best strategy is to reduce her known risk factors whenever possible, by increasing physical activity, reducing alcohol intake, and avoiding obesity. Also, recent clinical research has provided important information on ways that women at very high risk can further reduce their risk of breast cancer using the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen.

Who Is at Risk for Breast Cancer?
Simply being a woman and getting older puts you at some risk for breast cancer. Your risk for breast cancer continues to increase over your lifetime. Several known factors can further increase your risk for breast cancer. Most women who get breast cancer have no known risk factors such as a family history of the disease.

Talk to your doctor about the known risk factors for breast cancer.

Breast Cancer Odds Change with Age:

Source: Probability of Developing or Dying of Cancer: National Cancer Institute, 1999.

What Should You Do?
Women in their fifties need evaluate their family history of breast cancer to rule out genetic factors. Also, most cases of breast cancer occur in women during their fifties so it is important to consistently visit a doctor or health care practitioner for an annual clinical breast examination and mammogram. It is never too late to begin incorporating a healthy diet and moderate exercise in an effort to prevent breast cancer.