High Risk Groups for Breast Cancer

  Breast cancer is a common malignancy that poses a serious health risk to women. Data show that 1.2 million occur and 500,000 die every year worldwide. In China, the incidence of breast cancer accounts for 7% to 10% of the whole body malignant tumors, while the incidence in western countries is high, accounting for about 20% of the whole body malignant tumors. In China, breast cancer mostly occurs in women around the age of 40 to 60 years old before and after menopause.  Early detection, early diagnosis and early treatment are the keys to improve the prognosis of breast cancer. Studies have shown that screening with mammography can reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer. The reason for this is that screening with mammography can detect more early breast cancers and, therefore, has better treatment effects. In developed Western countries, women over 35 years of age are eligible for annual mammography screening.  Among the women population, there are some women who have a higher chance of breast cancer than the general population, and they are called the high-risk group of breast cancer. It is generally believed that the following women belong to the high-risk group of breast cancer: 1. Women with a family history of breast cancer, especially their parents and sisters who have been breast cancer patients, are about 30% more likely to develop breast cancer than others; 2. Women with a family history of ovarian cancer are also more likely to develop breast cancer than the general population; 3. Carriers of BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation in breast cancer, which can lead to the occurrence of breast cancer. Studies have confirmed that the incidence of familial BRCA1 germline mutations in Chinese women is about 8% to 10%, and the risk of breast cancer in women with germline mutations in the BRCA1 gene is 60% to 80%, which is about 10 times higher than that of the general population; 4. 5.Over-obesity: obese people, especially those who are significantly obese after menopause or with diabetes. The incidence of breast cancer is 3.45 times higher in obese people than in non-obese people; 6. Women whose first pregnancy is older than 30 years old and those who have never given birth; 7. Menstrual factors: the risk of breast cancer is 2.2 times greater in those whose first menstruation is earlier than 12 years old than in those whose first menstruation is 17 years old; the risk of breast cancer is about 1 times higher in those whose menopause is later than 50 years old than in those who have menopause after 45 years old.  8. Having certain chronic breast diseases, such as ductal epithelial atypia, papillomatosis, etc., the age of menarche is before 12 years old or after 55 years old; 9. Patients with breast cancer on one side have 5-7 times higher chance of having cancer in the opposite breast than normal; 10. Not breastfeeding: breastfeeding is one of the best natural means to prevent breast cancer, and breastfeeding can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 20% to 30%. According to research, the risk of breast cancer in women who are not breastfeeding is more than 1.5 times greater than that of breastfeeding women.  Women with the above-mentioned risk factors for breast cancer should undergo annual mammograms and breast ultrasounds to enhance surveillance and early detection of breast cancer.  Among these women, women with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, women with a positive BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene test and their first-degree relatives (mother, children or sisters) are the most high-risk group and should be monitored.