Question: What factors place women at high risk for breast cancer?
Answer:
Factors associated with a threefold or more increase in risk include the following:
- Age > 40 yr
- Previous cancer in one breast
- Breast cancer in a first- or second-degree family member
- History of multiple breast biopsies
- Parity: nulliparous, or first pregnancy after age 31 years
- Lobular carcinoma in situ
- Gene mutations: BRCA1, BRCA2, hMSH2, hMLH1, hPMS1, p53, others
- Radiation exposure to chest wall during childhood or adolescence
Reference: Casciato DA, Lowitz BB (eds): Manual of Clinical Oncology, 5th ed. Boston, Little, Brown, 2000
