“Myth #3: A woman is not at risk for breast cancer if there is no family history of the disease.

Fact: Every
woman has some risk of breast cancer. Approximately 80 percent of women
who get breast cancer have no known family history of the disease.
Increasing age – normal aging – is the biggest single risk factor for
breast cancer.”

Read the full article

[tags]breast cancer awareness[/tags]

More about the NBCC 

I completed the calculator and found it to be very informative. Not only are the questions clear and to the point, each question includes a “learn more about this risk factor” link, so you can find out why the question is being asked.

At the end of the evaluation, there is “your risk” level and additional informationto further learn about your specific risk level.

They also recommend a few things to consider:

“Having a baby before the age of 30 and breastfeeding for a total of 12 months or more can reduce a woman’s risk for breast cancer.

Exercise – regular moderate to brisk physical activity of between 1.5 to 4 hours a week has been shown to reduce risk for breast cancer. The longer the duration of exercise, the greater the reduction in risk.

Alcohol – Drinking alcohol increases your risk for breast cancer. The more you drink, the greater the increase in risk. Keeping your alcohol consumption down to no more than 2 standard drinks a day is recommended.”

Much of this I’ve heard here and there, but not all. I learned a few new things today.

I think this is a great learning tool for women of all ages.

[tags] breast cancer awareness, pink ribbon, nbcc[/tags]