The Link Between Sugar Consumption and Breast Cancer

While some women may have the following risk factors and never develop breast cancer and others may develop breast cancer without any of the risk factors listed, these risk factors have been found by research to increase the chance of developing breast cancer. The risk factors include the following:

• Age. Most breast cancers are diagnosed after the age of 50 and the chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases as the age increases. Only about 10 percent of breast cancers are diagnosed in women under the age of 45. Two out of every three women who have invasive cancer receive their diagnosis after they are 55 years old.
• Inherited Factors. Inherited gene mutations, such as mutations in the BRCA1 and the BRCA2 genes, can increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
• Family History. If a woman has a mother, daughter, or sister with breast cancer, her risk at developing it too is doubled.
• Breast Density. Having dense breast tissue can increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer because it makes lumps harder to detect in a mammogram.

References

About Breast Cancer: Risk Factors (n.d.). [Web]. In National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc. Retrieved on 09/11/2017 from: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-risk-factors

Breast Cancer Risk Factors (n.d.). [Web]. In Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Retrieved on 09/11/2017 from: http://www.cancercenter.com/breast-cancer/risk-factors/

Howley, E. (2017, August 10). Does Consuming Sugar Increase My Risk of Developing Breast Cancer? [Web]. In U.S. News. Retrieved from: http://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2017-08-10/does-consuming-sugar-increase-my-risk-of-developing-breast-cancer

What Are the Risk Factors for Breast Cancer? (2016). [Web]. In Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm