Think pink. Think thousands of scientists, decades of research, countless miles walked and run and billions of dollars raised in the process. We ve learned a lot about breast cancer (we used to think it was one disease but now know there are 10 or more kinds!) but we still have no cure.
We need to stop people from ever getting breast cancer in the first place.
Could it be that we still don t even know what causes the potential killer?
Sometimes we forget just how many different factors may contribute to breast cancer s development. Here s what s known:
ESTROGEN -The more estrogen a woman makes over time, or takes through post-menopausal combined hormone replacement therapy, the higher her risk of getting breast cancer. The more years a woman menstruates, the longer breast tissue is estrogen-exposed.
AGE - The chance of getting breast cancer increases as a woman ages.
ALCOHOL - The risk of breast cancer jumped by 30% in women who drank more than three drinks daily.
FAMILY HISTORY - Having a mother, sister or daughter with breast cancer almost doubles a woman s risk, particularly if the relative was diagnosed before age 50.
RADIATION - Radiation therapy for a previous cancer heightens the risk of breast cancer.
OBESITY - Fat cells play a role in estrogen production so being overweight adds to risky estrogen exposure.
