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1. My mother and sister have both been diagnosed and treated for breast
cancer. Does this mean I will get breast cancer too?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Maybe
C - Your risk is increased by two or three times that of the general
population, and you are at higher risk of developing breast cancer before
menopause. Your risk is even greater if your relative(s) developed breast cancer
before menopause, or if the relative had breast cancer in both breasts. Note
that only five to 10 percent of all breast cancers are hereditary. You should
consult your doctor about personal breast cancer screening guidelines. You will
probably be advised to have your first mammogram by age 30 and clinical breast
exams at least once a year. You should continue to perform monthly breast
self-exams, as recommended for the general population.
2. BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations (alterations in genetic
material) increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.
A. True
B. False
A - True. Women with an altered BRCA gene usually have an increased
risk of developing breast cancer and at a younger age (before menopause).
However, not all women who carry the BRCA genes will develop cancer.
BRCA1 was the first gene detected that increased the risk for breast and
ovarian cancer. The presence of this gene produces a greater than 90 percent
risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer by age 85. BRCA1 appears to account
for about 45 percent of inherited breast cancers and 80 percent of families with
both breast and ovarian cancer. An estimated one in 600 women carry this gene.
A second gene, BRCA2, also plays a major part in breast and ovarian cancer.
Less information is available on the function of this gene; however, it is
associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer among carriers.
BRCA2 is not associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer and may
account for a genetic linkage of male breast cancer.
Both the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes can be inherited from either parent. Men or
women who carry one of these gene mutations have a one in two (50/50) chance of
passing it on to each of their children.
3. My risk for breast cancer starts to increase after age 35.
A. True
B. False
B - False. Breast cancer is uncommon in women under age 35. The risk
of breast cancer increases as a woman grows older. About 70 percent of women
diagnosed with breast cancer each year are over age 50, and almost half are age
65 and older.
4. Fibrocystic breast changes increase my risk of developing breast
cancer.
A. True
B. False
B - False. Changes in hormone balances during normal, monthly
menstrual cycles can create, for some women, symptomatic breast changes that are
referred to as fibrocystic changes. These are often described as benign, tiny
fluid-filled sacs that may feel like lumps. Tenderness and lump size commonly
increase the week before the menstrual period and lessen the week after. The
lumps may be hard or rubbery and can appear as a single breast lump that may be
large or small. Fibrocystic changes can also appear as thickening of the breast
tissue. Fibrocystic changes can occur in one or both breasts and are often
prominent during a woman’s 40s. These changes are the most common cause of
benign breast lumps in women ages 35 to 50.
5. If I have been previously treated for breast cancer, it is not
likely that I will develop breast cancer in the opposite breast.
A. True
B. False
A- False. If you have previously been treated for cancer in one
breast, you have a higher risk of developing breast cancer in the same or the
opposite breast, especially if the cancer occurred before menopause. There is a
one-percent-per-year risk of a new breast cancer occurrence in the opposite breast.
Although lobular carcinoma in situ is not cancer, it may be an indicator that a
woman might develop invasive cancer.
6. My diet can affect my risk for breast cancer.
A. True
B. False
A - True. Although the possible link between diet and breast cancer is
still being studied, some researchers believe that a well-balanced diet low in
fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables contributes to lowering a woman’s
risk of breast cancer. Maintaining ideal body weight and regularly exercising also appears to
lower a woman’s risk.
7. The benign condition atypical hyperplasia can increase my
risk of developing breast cancer.
A. True
B. False
A - True. Usually, benign breast conditions rarely increase your risk
of breast cancer. Some women have biopsies that show a condition called
hyperplasia (excessive cell growth). This condition increases your risk only
slightly. When the biopsy shows hyperplasia and abnormal cells, a condition
called atypical hyperplasia, your risk of breast cancer increases somewhat more.
Atypical hyperplasia occurs in about five percent of benign breast biopsies.
8. Other risk factors for breast cancer include:
A. Starting menstruation at an early age (before 12)
B. Late onset of menopause (after age 55)
C. Obesity
D. Having a first child after age 30
E. Not having any children
F. All of the above
F. All of these are risk factors that increase a woman’s chance of
developing breast cancer.
9. Tamoxifen can be taken to reduce a woman’s risk of
developing breast cancer.
A. True
B. False
A - True. Women who have an increased risk of breast cancer can take
tamoxifen to reduce their chances of developing breast cancer. Tamoxifen is also
often given to women with breast cancer who are post-menopausal and whose breast
cancer is found to be estrogen receptor positive. When taken for five years,
tamoxifen prevented the recurrence of the original breast cancer and also
prevented the development of a second primary cancer in the opposite breast.
Research has also shown a 45 percent reduction in breast cancer incidence among
high-risk participants who took tamoxifen.
10. Using antiperspirant increases my risk of developing breast cancer.
A. True
B. False
B - False. There is no evidence to support this idea. Recent internet
e-mail rumors have suggested that underarm antiperspirants hamper lymph
circulation and increase the risk of developing breast cancer, but this is not
true.
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