What are my chances of getting breast cancer?!


Question: What are my chances of getting breast cancer?
So I am really worried that I have a pretty high chance of getting breast cancer. I will be 15 in April and i'm 5'4, and 174 pounds about, so I am pretty overweight. My aunt on my moms side had breast cancer, and now my mom just found out she has it. I got my period when I was 9 or 10 and I have heard you have a greater risk of breast cancer if you had your period before age 12. Please only serious answers. Thank you.

Answers:

You are only 14 and worried about breast cancer?
Unless your mom is under 50 you do not have to be concerned for another 25 years and hopefully in that amount of time we will have a better understanding of the disease.
Yes starting your period is one risk factor for breast cancer and there are several others which you will not know for several years to come.
Only 20% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of it.
If your mom has a rare hereditary type she would know and you have a 50% chance of having the gene mutation too, but it does not necessarily mean you will get breast cancer. You also cannot get the test until you are 18.
Right now your chances are zero.


EDIT: 34?!!
Oh my, that does make a bit of a difference. Her doctor would definitely want her to be checked for a hereditary cancer. If she does test positive you have a 50% chance of having it too. Depending on which type it is determines the odds of getting breast and other cancers too. You still cannot be tested until you are 18. In either case you will need to start screening when you are 24 and you should make sure every doctor you see in your lifetime is aware of your family history.
We are learning more about breast cancer all the time and we will know much more by the time you are 24. The reason starting your period is a risk factor is because most breast cancers are hormone driven. This is also why having your first baby by the age of 30 decreases the risk, but as you can see risk factors are just that a single factor in the big picture. Most risk factors for breast cancer we have no control over. However, we do know the more fat we have as females the more hormones we produce so it would be a good idea for you to lose a little weight. Don’t go crazy and do it the right way and slowly the amount of fat is far more important than the number on the scale. I only mention this because it is one of the few things you can control and it is better for your overall health too. Best wishes to you and your mom.

At your age your chances are still zero and self-exams are not recommended at your age either.

I am a cancer registrar.



At your age, your chance of having breast cancer is slim to none. However, if you remain overweight and sedentary, your risk will increase as you age. Having a first degree relative such as your mother also does increase your risk. You need to lose weight and perform monthly self breast examinations so that you can know the feel and consistency of your breast tissue. Worrying solves nothing, and at age 14, there is nothing to worry about.



It would be very rare to get breast cancer at your age as most cases of this type of cancer occur in women over the age of 50. Taking into consideration your family history, you should make sure you get regular breast checks.

Here is a link to some useful info on hereditary cancer. It has been specifically designed for young people: http://www.nowwhat.org.au/info/factsheet…

I hope you find this info useful.

http://www.nowwhat.org.au/info/factsheet…



chances of getting breast cancer are ridiclously low. but you should get it checked out rather than worrying about it.

answer my question



have yourself tested for the gene for breast cancer and then you'll know...strangers on YA don't know you or your family.



0% if you are a guy




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