Though breast cancer affects fewer than 7% of women under 40 years of age, there are still several risk factors that could lead to breast cancer in young women. They include a previous bout with cancer, a family history of the disease, genetic defects, and a Gail Index score of over 1.7%. Other contributing factors could be race, obesity, and lifestyle issues such as high consumption of red meat and alcohol. A history of extensive radiation therapy can also be a risk factor for breast cancer in young women.
A previous family history of breast cancer is one of the most prominent high risk factors for breast cancer in young women. The risk is even higher if a close relative, such as a mother, sister, or daughter, had the disease. Young women who have already had cancer, another disease of the breast, or high risk lesions on the chest have a greater likelihood of developing breast cancer.
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Medical tests can also help to uncover some of the risk factors for breast cancer in young women. Genetic defects can indicate a higher risk for cancer. If a woman is found to have a mutated BRCA2 or BRCA1 gene — which are genes thought to suppress tumor growth — she is more likely to get the disease. The Gail Index evaluates a range of risk factors, including family breast cancer history, number of breast biopsies, and age of first menstruation and pregnancy, in order to determine a percent score. If a woman has a Gail Index score of 1.7% or higher, she is at an increased risk for getting breast cancer within the next five years.
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Several external elements can be risk factors for breast cancer in young women. Women who have had extensive radiation therapy around the chest area are at a higher risk of contracting breast cancer. Lifestyle choices such as excessive consumption of alcohol and red meat can also increase the odds of a young woman getting the disease. Obesity, and particularly carrying excessive weight in the waist, can contribute to the risk for breast cancer.
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Race can be a breast cancer risk factor for all ages of women. White, non-Hispanic women have the highest reported rate of contracting the disease. While African American women show a lower incidence of breast cancer, they have the highest rate of death from the disease. This is primarily due to the fact that a high percentage of African American women do not seek treatment until it is too late to treat the disease.