Experts believe early detection is key to winning the battle. Dr. Jemini Abraham Paul, head of Specialist Obstetrics and Gynaecology department at NMC Medical Centre in Deira, said that one way to up one’s chance to fight this disease is to be familiar with the common risk factors leading to breast cancer.
Uncontrollable risk factors
- Genetics and hereditary risks
Experts said that individuals who have family members suffering from cancer are more likely to generate cancerous cells due to the genes that they share—particularly the well-known gene mutations referred to as BRCA1 and BRCA2.
- Age
The risk for breast cancer increases with age, with 80 percent of cases occurring in women aged over 50. However, Dr. Balasubramanian said that in the UAE, the average age bracket of Filipinas diagnosed with breast cancer ranges from 25 to 30.
- Periods, pregnancies and menopausal factors
Dr. Paul also said that women who might have begun their periods early in life (as young as before 12 years old) or menopaused at an older age (as old as after 55) have increased risks of developing breast cancer.
- Pre-existing breast conditions
Women who have had medical conditions on their breasts are also vulnerable to the disease—especially those diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) or atypical hyperplasia of the breast. Having dense breast also makes you at risk of this disease because it could mean more connective tissue than fatty tissue—making it hard to see tumors on a mammogram.
Controllable risk factors
- Sedentary lifestyle and obesity
Dr. Paul said women who are not physically active, consuming too much unhealthy food and drinks, as well those who are overweight or obese have a higher chance of getting breast cancer.
- Environmental risk factors
Experts also stressed that being exposed to certain external environments may likewise contribute to the increased risk of developing cancer cells.
- Reproductive factors
Dr. Paul said that women who have gotten pregnant after 30, who choose not to breastfeed, and who have never had a full-term pregnancy should watch out for early signs of the disease.
- Smoking
Smoking also gravely increases one’s risk for breast cancer, especially since the chemicals from tobaccos and alcohol can imbalance women’s hormones, according to the 2017 study published in Breast Cancer Research.
