Changes

Many factors affect the incidence of breast cancer in any given population of women including:

Many factors affect the incidence of breast cancer in any given population of women including:

*'''gender''': Breast cancer occurs 100 times more frequently in women than in men.

*'''Gender''': Breast cancer occurs 100 times more frequently in women than in men.

*'''Age''': this is a complex relationship, with the steepest rise in diagnosis occurring between the ages of 40 and 60, however pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers tend to behave differently.

*'''Age''': this is a complex relationship, with the steepest rise in diagnosis occurring between the ages of 40 and 60, however pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers tend to behave differently.<ref> http://www.breastcancer.org/cmn_who_indrisk.html </ref>

*diet <ref> http://unisci.com/stories/20021/0104023.htm </ref>  

*'''Diet''' <ref> http://unisci.com/stories/20021/0104023.htm </ref>  

*race/ethnicity: not a strong risk factor in the development of breast cancer, but affects time of diagnosis, and access to care.<ref> http://www.womenshealthnetwork.org/advocacy/wocbreastca/natam.htm </ref>   

*'''Race/ethnicity''': not a strong risk factor in the development of breast cancer, but affects time of diagnosis, and access to care.<ref> http://www.womenshealthnetwork.org/advocacy/wocbreastca/natam.htm </ref>   

*Benign breast disease confers a slightly higher risk

*'''Benign breast disease''' confers a slightly higher risk

*obesity <ref> http://society.guardian.co.uk/cancer/story/0,,686105,00.html </ref>

*'''Obesity''' <ref> http://society.guardian.co.uk/cancer/story/0,,686105,00.html </ref>

*family history if such a history involves having several generations affected by breast cancer or having many relatives diagnosed with breast cancer at less than 50 years old <ref> http://www.breastcancer.org/cmn_who_indrisk.html </ref>

*'''Family history''' if such a history involves having several generations affected by breast cancer or having many relatives diagnosed with breast cancer at less than 50 years old <ref> http://www.breastcancer.org/cmn_who_indrisk.html </ref>

* prolonged uninterrupted exposure to estrogen (e.g. by having an early [[menarche]] and late [[menopause]] or by having no full-term pregnancies).<ref> http://www.breastcancer.org/cmn_who_indrisk.html </ref>

*'''Prolonged uninterrupted exposure to estrogen''' (e.g. by having an early [[menarche]] and late [[menopause]] or by having no full-term pregnancies).<ref> http://www.breastcancer.org/cmn_who_indrisk.html </ref>

* age: increasing age increases the risk that at some point in her life a woman will contract breast cancer, rising from 1 in 231 (0.5% risk) aged under 40 to 1 in 7 at age 90. <ref> http://www.breastcancer.org/cmn_who_indrisk.html </ref>

*'''Personal history of breast cancer'''

*'''Personal history of breast cancer'''

This concept of risk should be put into the context of other risks, since life is full of risks. A woman's risk of dying of breast cancer is similar to her risk from radon by living in [[Cornwall]], England, <ref> http://www.cplusc.co.uk/risks.html </ref> a factor which does not seem to have denuded Cornwall of its female population.

This concept of risk should be put into the context of other risks, since life is full of risks. A woman's risk of dying of breast cancer is similar to her risk from radon by living in [[Cornwall]], England, <ref> http://www.cplusc.co.uk/risks.html </ref> a factor which does not seem to have denuded Cornwall of its female population.