Breast Cancer		Risk Factors   If you have a risk factor for breast cancer, are you likely to get the disease? No. Getting breast cancer is not a certainty, even if you have one of the stronger risk factors, like a breast cancer gene abnormality. Of women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 inherited genetic abnormality, 40–80% will develop breast cancer over their lifetime whereas 20–60% won't. Compared to the presence of an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, all other risk factors are associated with a much lower probability of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Questions Related to Risk Factors Does breast cancer only affect older women? If breast cancer doesn't run in your family, are you assured of not getting it? Does only your mother’s family history of breast cancer affect your risk? Does using antiperspirants cause breast cancer? Is q monthly breast self-exam the best way to diagnose breast cancer? I’m at high risk for breast cancer. I've heard that there’s nothing I can do about it. Is this true? Is a breast cancer diagnosis an automatic death sentence? Does breastfeeding if you have a breast tumor increase your child’s risk of cancer? Does wearing an underwire bra cause breast cancer? Can mammograms cause cancer? Page 1 of 1    | 1 |

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