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Despite decades of research, doctors do still not have a definite answer to the cause of breast cancer. However, they do have significant data that indicates there are a number of "risk factors" that contribute to the development of the disease. Knowing the risk factors involved in developing breast cancer are key to prevention.

Family history: A family history of breast cancer significantly raises a woman's risk factor. Dr Susan Love in her book "The Breast Book, 4th Edition, indicates that 6 out of 30 women with family history of the disease will get breast cancer compared to 1 out of 30 women without a family history.

Age: Younger women are at less risk than older women are and women over the age of 55 are at a higher risk.

Previous breast cancer diagnosis: Currently, there is no "cure" for breast cancer. Doctors and breast cancer survivors tend to speak in terms of being "cancer free" because a previous diagnosis increases a woman's risk of recurrence, sometimes even years after successful treatment.

Genetics: The American Cancer Society indicates that changes to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are linked to about 5% to 10% of breast cancers. This increases a women's risk to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer in her lifetime. A woman with a family history of breast cancer is likely to have this mutation.

Early menstruation/late menopause: Women who began menstruating before age 12 have a higher risk of breast cancer as does beginning menopause after the age of 55.

Pregnancy: Women giving birth for the first time after the age of 30 or women who have never had a live birth, or who never breast-fed have an increased risk.

Post-menopausal breast density: This is a diagnostic issue the denser a woman's breast, the harder it is to find a tumor on a mammogram.

Hormones: The use of birth control pills and/or hormonal therapy increases the risk for a woman.

Lifestyle: Obesity, high alcohol consumption, and a sedentary lifestyle can all contribute to putting a woman at a higher risk.

Diet: High fat, meat, and dairy-based diets may affect risk factors. First, because they may lead to obesity and second because many animal based foods now contain hormones, which can lead to the development of breast tumors. Japanese women, who eat a very low fat, low meat diet and consume practically no dairy have one of the lowest breast cancer rates in the world.

Smoking and second-hand smoke: Not only a leading cause of lung cancer, it is also thought to be a contributing factor in developing breast cancer.

Environmental factors: Benzene (produced by gasoline and tobacco smoke) has been determined by the Department of Health and Human Services to be a known carcinogen. Reheating plastics in a microwave or freezing plastics releases cancer-producing dioxins.

Rumors abound on the Internet that other factors like bra wearing, antiperspirants, abortions, or miscarriages cause breast cancer. So far, there is no significant data to indicate these are actual risk factors.

Of all the known, substantiated risk factors, none alone is the single "cause" of breast cancer and there is more data becoming available on almost a daily basis. Knowing and understanding what contributes to developing breast cancer is the best way to reduce your personal "risk factor".

Learn more about this author, KP Smith.
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