Breast Cancer

Women in all walks of life have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The causes of breast cancer are unknown, however, research of breast cancer leads us to believe that it is caused by: family/ethnic history, estrogen, and genetic alteration.

Research shows that a woman's risk of getting breast cancer increases if her mother, sister, or daughter had breast cancer, especially at a young age. This means that it gets passed down from generation to generation. Furthermore, women who are white Non-Hispanic have the highest incidence rate for breast cancer in the U.S. African American women have the highest death rate for breast cancer, while Asians have the lowest.

Study has shown that the longer a woman is exposed to estrogen, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer. The risk is somewhat increased for most women who began menstruation at an early age, experienced menopause late, never had children, or took hormone therapy for a long period of time. These factors increase the amount of time a woman's body is exposed to estrogen.

Changes in certain genes increase in intensity the risk of breast cancer. In families in which many women have had the disease, gene testing can sometimes show the occurrence of precise genetic changes that increase the risk of breast cancer. Doctors try many ways to delay or prevent breast cancer, or to improve the finding of this disease in women who have these changes in their genes.

By looking at some of these factors, such as family/ethnic background, estrogen, and genetic alterations, studies are showing the fact that breast cancer is the leading cause of death in most women, and scientists are to strive as to find the cure for this disease.