what causes breast cancer?

Question

I really wanna know.

Answer 1

Actually, the frequency of breast cancer is about 1 in 8 women. Worldwide, there are only a few places with statistical life expectancies averaging much beyond 80 years old, so statistics that use ages beyond this aren't meaninful. Please disregard the above.

The reason that ANY cancer forms involves a failure (actually a series of failures) in the normal process of cells replacing themselves. Normally what happens when a cell needs to replace itself, is that it grows larger, replicates its genetic material (DNA) and then divides in two, giving one copy of its DNA to each of the "daughter cells". In cancer, the DNA is copied wrong, and the result is a cell which not only behaves incorrectly, but every cell that comes from it later on will also behave incorrectly. The growth of these cells forms a tumor.

Different kinds of tissues within our bodies are at different levels of risk for the creation of this kind of problem. Tissues that grow and replace themselves more vigorously are at higher risk, while tissues that do very little change-over of cells are at comparitively low risk. The skin is constantly replacing itself, and skin cancer is common. The lining of the colon is constantly replacing itself and colon cancer is common. The brain doesn't do much in the way of cell reproduction (neurons essentially do not replace themselves, and it's the supporting cells called "glia" that end up making tumors) brain cancer is therefore fairly rare.

The breast glands grow and reproduce cells every time a woman goes through a menstrual cycle. Afterward, they tend to shrink back. This constant cycling of growth is what makes breast duct cells susceptible to cancer changes.

When we assess a woman for things that tend to increase risk for cancer, we ask about things like what age the menstrual cycles started, and what age the woman was when she had her first pregnancy, how many pregnancies she's had, and how long she may have breast fed for, with each. We also ask about age of menopause for women who are past that point. The goal of these questions is to assess how much estrogen exposure the breast tissue has had, and whether or not it seems like a lot.

These kinds of risk factor assessments, though, will never make us feel like a particular woman is at low risk for breast cancer, though, because just being female puts the patient at a lifetime risk of 1 in 8!! The real factors that increase our level of concern are in regard to family history.

In order for breast tissue to turn into cancer, there have to be several genetic changes (mutations). If one of those mutations is passed on to a woman from her parents, then she's already starting life that much closer to forming cancer. This happens, and it's the reason that breast cancer runs in some families!

The most important risk factor for breast cancer (other than a previous diagnosis of breast cancer in that patient) is the presence of a family history of breast cancer. One of the most important contributing causes of breast cancer is heredity. In some cases, the breast cancer risk is so high, that women will undergo cancer surgery and have their breasts removed even before they are diagnosed with cancer, just to try to reduce their risk!

This is a huge topic, and I'd be happy to help you with more information if you need it.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

What causes breast cancer? Mutated genes, in either the genes BRCA-1 (the first breast cancer gene found), BRCA-2 (the second gene that causes breast cancer), TP35 (a tumor protein, which plays a role in cell cycle regulation), or in the gene PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog, a tumor suppressor gene, when mutated can cause breast cancer). A mutated gene, passed down like heirlooms from family members, although cancer is no jewelry box or antique lamp. When these genes are mutated it doesn’t mean that it will cause breast cancer or another type of cancer. It only means that they make the person more susceptible for cancer. Brest cancer is usually found in women, although men can get it too. In recent statistics about two-thousand women and one-thousand-five hundred men will develop it each year in the U.S.


shortly after my grandma died of breast cancer i researched this very topic and dont listen to pb pony about docs not knowing this is the real information. and most of the answers on here are plain stupid!!! these answerers do not know and are saying that drinking caffeine and not being loved are not the causes its mostly hereditary, but they could play a very very very small part if at all.
hope that helps.

Answer 4

I worked for the American Cancer Society for 6 years and now am getting a doctorate degree. I have never seen any studies that correlated wearing a bra with higher rates of breast cancer. I don't know where the heck you got that one, but it's entirely false. Wear whatever kind you want, honey, it won't matter.

Answer 5

Environment and genetics. Women with breast cancer in their family history are much more likely to get breast cancer.

Answer 6

There are lots of different factors that can lead to breast cancer, but the one that most probably led to my mother's battle with it was birth control. She was on some estrogen-based birth control, which feeds the type of cancer that she has/had. (she's had it four times now). I'm not exactly how it caused the cancer, but that's what her doctors say.

Have a beautiful day!

Answer 7

Lots of things cause breast cancer --- even guys get breast cancer. Check out Webmd.com and google, cancer+ breast.

Answer 8

Breast cancer is a cancer of breast tissue. Worldwide, it is the most common form of cancer in females, affecting approximately one out of twelve to thirteen women who reach age ninety at some stage of their life in the Western world. It is (after lung cancer) the second most fatal cancer in women. [3] Because the breast is composed of identical tissues in males and females, breast cancer can also occur in males, but here the incidence is very low.

check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer for more info.

Answer 9

Somking, if it runs in your family, drinking to much caffine drinks, bad diet, there are a number of factors that can cause breast cancer. To get good information on this look it up on the internet somewhere else, or ask your doctor.

Answer 10

So many causes for cancer. Saddly though the number one cause is genetics, that's why you must start getting yearly checks once you are around the age of 25, or soon if there is a history in your family.