Causes of Breast Cancer : Reducing Your Risk

Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, fluid coming from the nipple, or a red scaly patch of skin. In those with distant spread of the disease, there may be bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, shortness of breath, or yellow skin

Reproductive

43 causes

Protective Factors	Studies
Strong Protective Factor Low birth weight Maternity system	1 study Is the association of birth weight with premenopausal breast cancer... Study in 2004 -403% with Moderate evidence in 58 years 2,176 subjects
Protective Factor Young maternal age Selfcare	1 study Effects of Menstrual and Reproductive Factors on the Risk of Breast... Study in 1995 -56% with High evidence in 2 years
Protective Factor Olive oil Nutrition	1 study Olive oil intake is inversely related to cancer prevalence: a syste... Study in 2011 -45% with High evidence in 4 years 37,140 subjects
Protective Factor Friendships Selfcare	2 studies Postdiagnosis social networks and breast cancer mortality in the Af... Study in 2016 -46% with High evidence 9,267 subjects Associations of social networks with cancer mortality: A meta-analysis Study in 2011 -22% with Moderate evidence
Protective Factor Moderate Exercise Selfcare	2 studies The benefits of physical activity for health and well-being -30% with High evidence Fat or fit: the joint effects of physical activity, weight gain, an... Study in 2012 -30% with High evidence in 12 years 3,059 subjects
Protective Factor Multiparity Selfcare	1 study Effects of Menstrual and Reproductive Factors on the Risk of Breast... Study in 1995 -32% with High evidence in 2 years
Protective Factor Aspirin Manufactured	1 study Aspirin Use and Lung, Colon, and Breast Cancer Incidence in a Prosp... Study in 1994 -30% with High evidence in 12 years 3 months 12,668 subjects
Minor Protective Factor Green Tea Beverage	1 study Green Tea and Black Tea Consumption and Prostate Cancer Risk: An Ex... Study in 2011 -22% with High evidence in 10 years
Minor Protective Factor Soy Nutrition	2 studies Dietary isoflavone intake and all-cause mortality in breast cancer ... Study in 2017 -21% with High evidence in 9 years 6,235 subjects Meta-Analysis of Soy Intake and Breast Cancer Risk Study in 2006 -14% with High evidence 26 subjects
Minor Protective Factor Cruciferous vegetables Nutrition	1 study Cruciferous vegetables intake is inversely associated with risk of ... Study in 2013 -15% with High evidence
Minor Protective Factor Whole grains Nutrition	1 study Whole‐grain intake and cancer: An expanded review and meta‐analysis Study in 2009 -14% with High evidence in 10 years
Minor Protective Factor Yoghurt Nutrition	1 study Usual consumption of specific dairy foods is associated with breast... Study in 2017 -39% with Moderate evidence in 11 years 1,941 subjects
Minor Protective Factor Fasting Nutrition	1 study Prolonged Nightly Fasting and Breast Cancer Prognosis Study in 2016 -36% with Moderate evidence in 2 months 2,413 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Pregnancy & Birth Maternity system	1 study Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of indivi... Study in 2002 -7% with High evidence in 15 years 147,275 subjects
Minor Protective Factor Breastfeeding Selfcare	1 study Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of indivi... Study in 2002 -4% with High evidence in 15 years 147,275 subjects
Minor Protective Factor Mediterranean diet Nutrition	1 study Effects on Health Outcomes of a Mediterranean Diet With No Restrict... Study in 2016 -4% with High evidence in 10 years 465,106 subjects
Minor Protective Factor Chamomile Herb	1 study Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future Study in 2011 -1% with Low evidence in 5 years
Minor Protective Factor Foods rich in Acrylamide Nutrition	2 studies A Prospective Study of Dietary Acrylamide Intake and the Risk of En... Study in 2007 -7% with Moderate evidence in 11 years 62,573 subjects Dietary acrylamide and human cancer Study in 2005 +6% with Moderate evidence 20,000 subjects

Create an account to view full list of factors

Risk Factors	Studies
Risk Factor Hormone Replacement Th... Manufactured	1 study Breast cancer and hormone-replacement therapy in the Million Women ... Study in 2003 +66% with High evidence in 5 years 1,084,110 subjects
Protective Factor Insulin-like Human Gr... Endocrine system	1 study Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF binding protein-3, and canc... Study in 2004 +65% with High evidence 10,746 subjects
Risk Factor Fried Foods Nutrition	2 studies Intake of fried meat and risk of cancer: A follow-up study in finland Study in 1994 +77% with Moderate evidence in 24 years 9,990 subjects Well-Done Meat Intake and the Risk of Breast Cancer Study in 1998 +64% with Moderate evidence in 2 years 41 subjects
Risk Factor Cow milk (A1 β-casein) Beverage	2 studies The possible role of female sex hormones in milk from pregnant cows... Study in 2005 +81% with Moderate evidence in 36 years Usual consumption of specific dairy foods is associated with breast... Study in 2017 +58% with Moderate evidence in 11 years 1,941 subjects
Risk Factor Cheese Nutrition	2 studies The possible role of female sex hormones in milk from pregnant cows... Study in 2005 +75% with Moderate evidence in 36 years Usual consumption of specific dairy foods is associated with breast... Study in 2017 +53% with Moderate evidence in 11 years 1,941 subjects
Risk Factor Death of close Relative Selfcare	1 study The association between stressful life events and breast cancer ris... Study in 2003 +37% with High evidence
Risk Factor Early Menarche Reproductive system	1 study Effects of Menstrual and Reproductive Factors on the Risk of Breast... Study in 1995 +32% with High evidence in 2 years
Risk Factor Medically-Induced Abor... Selfcare	1 study Induced abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer: a... Study in 1996 +30% with High evidence in 7 years 11,500 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Stress Brain system	1 study The association between stressful life events and breast cancer ris... Study in 2003 +77% with Moderate evidence
Minor Risk Factor Obesity Musculoskeletal system	2 studies The incidence of co-morbidities related to obesity and overweight: ... Study in 2008 +13% with High evidence in 10 years Body Fatness and Cancer — Viewpoint of the IARC Working Group +10% with High evidence
Minor Risk Factor BBQ meat (Barbecue) Nutrition	1 study Grilled, Barbecued, and Smoked Meat Intake and Survival Following B... Study in 2017 +23% with High evidence in 17 years 7 months 1,508 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Alcohol Beverage	5 studies A meta-analysis of alcohol drinking and cancer risk Study in 2001 +171% with High evidence in 34 years 117,000 subjects Alcohol and Breast Cancer in Women A Pooled Analysis of Cohort Studies Study in 1998 +41% with High evidence in 11 years 322,647 subjects Moderate Alcohol Intake and Cancer Incidence in Women Study in 2009 +29% with High evidence 1 subjects Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and me... Study in 2010 +21% with High evidence Moderate Alcohol Intake and Cancer Incidence in Women Study in 2009 +12% with High evidence 1 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Red Meat Nutrition	2 studies The possible role of female sex hormones in milk from pregnant cows... Study in 2005 +82% with Moderate evidence in 36 years Potential health hazards of eating red meat Study in 2016 +11% with Moderate evidence
Minor Protective Factor Height Musculoskeletal system	2 studies Height and Breast Cancer Risk: Evidence From Prospective Studies an... Study in 2015 +17% with High evidence 5,216,302 subjects Adult Stature and Risk of Cancer at Different Anatomic Sites in a C... Study in 2013 +13% with High evidence 144,701 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Undernutrition Nutrition	1 study A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Regression Analysis on Earl... Study in 2016 +28% with Moderate evidence in 38 years
Minor Risk Factor Contraceptive pills Manufactured	1 study Oral Contraceptive Use and Risk of Breast, Cervical, Colorectal, an... Study in 2013 +8% with High evidence in 10 years
Minor Risk Factor Western (Northern Euro... Nutrition	1 study Dietary patterns and breast cancer risk: a systematic review and me... Study in 2010 +9% with Moderate evidence
Minor Risk Factor Processed Meat Nutrition	1 study Potential health hazards of eating red meat Study in 2016 +8% with Moderate evidence
Minor Risk Factor Black Tea Beverage	1 study Green Tea and Black Tea Consumption and Prostate Cancer Risk: An Ex... Study in 2011 +2% with Moderate evidence in 10 years
Minor Risk Factor Saturated Fat Nutrition	1 study Targeting metastasis-initiating cells through the fatty acid recept... Study in 2016 +1% with Low evidence

Outcomes	References
Minor Risk Factor Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular system	1 study A Population-Based Study of Cardiovascular Mortality Following Earl... Study in 2017 +16% with High evidence in 4 years 98 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Mortality Musculoskeletal system	2 studies A Population-Based Study of Cardiovascular Mortality Following Earl... Study in 2017 +21% with High evidence in 4 years 98 subjects Cancer statistics, 2015 Study in 2015 +9% with High evidence in 4 years 2,247,800 subjects
Minor Risk Factor Suicide Brain system	1 study Non–Cancer-Related Deaths From Suicide, Cardiovascular Disease, and... Study in 2012 +40% with Moderate evidence in 1 year 32 subjects

There are 18 factors preventing Breast Cancer, including:

Strong Protective Factor Low birth weightMaternity system

Protective Factor Young maternal ageSelfcare

Protective Factor Olive oilNutrition

Protective Factor FriendshipsSelfcare

Protective Factor Moderate ExerciseSelfcare

Protective Factor MultiparitySelfcare

Protective Factor AspirinManufactured

Minor Protective Factor Green TeaBeverage

Minor Protective Factor SoyNutrition

Minor Protective Factor Cruciferous vegetablesNutrition

Minor Protective Factor Whole grainsNutrition

Minor Protective Factor YoghurtNutrition

Minor Protective Factor FastingNutrition

Minor Risk Factor Pregnancy & BirthMaternity system

Minor Protective Factor BreastfeedingSelfcare

Minor Protective Factor Mediterranean dietNutrition

Minor Protective Factor Chamomile Herb

Minor Protective Factor Foods rich in AcrylamideNutrition

There are 20 factors increasing Breast Cancer, including:

Risk Factor Hormone Replacement Th...Manufactured

Protective Factor Insulin-like Human Gr...Endocrine system

Risk Factor Fried FoodsNutrition

Risk Factor Cow milk (A1 β-casein)Beverage

Risk Factor CheeseNutrition

Risk Factor Death of close RelativeSelfcare

Risk Factor Early MenarcheReproductive system

Risk Factor Medically-Induced Abor...Selfcare

Minor Risk Factor StressBrain system

Minor Risk Factor ObesityMusculoskeletal system

Minor Risk Factor BBQ meat (Barbecue)Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor AlcoholBeverage

Minor Risk Factor Red MeatNutrition

Minor Protective Factor HeightMusculoskeletal system

Minor Risk Factor UndernutritionNutrition

Minor Risk Factor Contraceptive pillsManufactured

Minor Risk Factor Western (Northern Euro...Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Processed MeatNutrition

Minor Risk Factor Black TeaBeverage

Minor Risk Factor Saturated FatNutrition

Possible outcomes of Breast Cancer

Minor Risk Factor Cardiovascular DiseaseCardiovascular system

Minor Risk Factor MortalityMusculoskeletal system

Minor Risk Factor SuicideBrain system

Strong Protective Factor Low birth weight
Maternity system

Protective Factor Young maternal age
Selfcare

Protective Factor Olive oil
Nutrition

Protective Factor Friendships
Selfcare

Protective Factor Moderate Exercise
Selfcare

Protective Factor Multiparity
Selfcare

Protective Factor Aspirin
Manufactured

Minor Protective Factor Green Tea
Beverage

Minor Protective Factor Soy
Nutrition

Minor Protective Factor Cruciferous vegetables
Nutrition

Minor Protective Factor Whole grains
Nutrition

Minor Protective Factor Yoghurt
Nutrition

Minor Protective Factor Fasting
Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Pregnancy & Birth
Maternity system

Minor Protective Factor Breastfeeding
Selfcare

Minor Protective Factor Mediterranean diet
Nutrition

Minor Protective Factor Chamomile
Herb

Minor Protective Factor Foods rich in Acrylamide
Nutrition

Risk Factor Hormone Replacement Th...
Manufactured

Protective Factor Insulin-like Human Gr...
Endocrine system

Risk Factor Fried Foods
Nutrition

Risk Factor Cow milk (A1 β-casein)
Beverage

Risk Factor Cheese
Nutrition

Risk Factor Death of close Relative
Selfcare

Risk Factor Early Menarche
Reproductive system

Risk Factor Medically-Induced Abor...
Selfcare

Minor Risk Factor Stress
Brain system

Minor Risk Factor Obesity
Musculoskeletal system

Minor Risk Factor BBQ meat (Barbecue)
Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Alcohol
Beverage

Minor Risk Factor Red Meat
Nutrition

Minor Protective Factor Height
Musculoskeletal system

Minor Risk Factor Undernutrition
Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Contraceptive pills
Manufactured

Minor Risk Factor Western (Northern Euro...
Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Processed Meat
Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Black Tea
Beverage

Minor Risk Factor Saturated Fat
Nutrition

Minor Risk Factor Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular system

Minor Risk Factor Mortality
Musculoskeletal system

Minor Risk Factor Suicide
Brain system