Causes of Breast Cancer

Causes of Breast Cancer Are Constantly Being Looked For During Research

There has been a lot of research into finding the causes of breast cancer.  Doctors want to know what causes a breast cancer tumor and what causes breast cysts.  They don’t know if the reasons behind these two things are the same or if they are different.

Researchers do know that a breast cancer tumor happens when there is a change in the DNA of the cell that makes the breast cancer cell grow out of control.  The cell turns into a breast cancer tumor and can go to other parts of the body.  If this happens, it is more difficult to get rid of the breast cancer tumor.

Doctors don’t know why we get breast cysts.  They believe breast cysts have to do with estrogen in the body causing the lobular part of the breast cancer to make excess fluid.  Breast cysts do not turn into cancer, as a rule.

Research For Genetic Causes of Breast Cancer

Researchers have discovered receptors that indicate a high risk of breast cancer.  For example, HER2 receptors are found on some breast cancer tumor cells.  They cause a breast lump, which is one of the main signs of breast cancer.  HER 2 receptors can be blocked with medications like Herceptin so that the breast cancer tumor does not grow.

Researchers have also found genes that indicate a high risk of breast cancer.  These genes are called brca1 and brca2.  They are often found in families who have a high risk of breast cancer.  They are believed to be causes of breast cancer.

Researchers are looking for other genetic causes of breast cancer.  This might help identify those women who are at risk for breast cancer.  One out of eight women gets breast cancer. If that one can be identified, then she can be treated or screened early in life.

What Research Tells Us About Risk Factors For Breast Cancer

Causes of breast cancer are many.  Research has recently found that women who take estrogen replacement therapy were at higher risk for breast cancer than women who did not take estrogen replacement therapy.  This is how the recommendations for ERT were changed a few years ago.  Before that, it was believed that ERT did not cause a breast lump.

Doctors believe that most breast cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of cells that happens because of environmental changes rather than genetic changes in the DNA.  Only about 15 percent of breast cancer tumors are caused by genetic changes.

Environmental changes could be environmental xenoestrogens.  Xenoestrogens are chemicals in the environment that mimic estrogen.  They can cause breast cancer in a susceptible person.

Being female has been found to be a risk factor for breast cancer.  Women can have a breast lump, breast cysts or a breast cancer tumor.  Women get breast cancer 100 times more often than men.  This is partly because women have more breast tissue and partly because women have estrogen in their bodies to a higher degree than men.

If a woman has breast cancer, she is much more likely to get a breast cancer tumor in the same or other breast.  It can be the same type of breast cancer or a different type of breast cancer.  She must be very aware of the signs of breast cancer so she can detect breast cancer early in the disease.

If a woman has dense breast tissue, it is harder to find a breast lump and there is more cancer-causing tissue in the breasts.  There isn’t very much fat in the breasts and there are more glands that can cause a breast cancer tumor.

What Doctors Know About Causes of Breast Cancer

Research has shown that women with fibrocystic breast disease might have a higher risk of breast cancer.  Fibrocystic breast disease involves having many breast cysts.  But they don’t know why it can cause cancer.

Women who have lobular carcinoma in situ, a small spot of breast cancer in a lobule of the breast, can get breast cancer.  The rate is 7 to 10 times higher than with other women.  They can get breast cancer tumors in either breast.

Women who began having periods before age 12 or who have menopause after age 55 have a higher chance of having a breast lump that is cancerous.  These women need to know the signs of breast cancer so they can find breast cancer early in the course of the disease.

If you don’t have children or have them late in life, this can be one of the causes of breast cancer.  If you have recently taken birth control pills, you can get breast cancer.  The risk is small, but research has shown a connection.  Not breast feeding can increase your breast cancer risk.

Research has recently shown that alcohol use increases the breast cancer tumor risk.  If a woman even drinks more than one alcoholic drink per day, she is at a higher risk of having breast cancer.  Being obese or eating high fat foods also contributes to having a greater risk for breast cancer.  Research has shown that fat cells make estrogen that can cause a breast cancer tumor.

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