family history: not main risk

bcinfo

In the threads on "what stage were you" and "how old were you", I see time and again that women keep saying there was no family history prior to their diagnosis.  Before my diagnosis, I also thought that family history was the main risk factor.  After, though, I realized that although 10% of those with breast cancer have a family history, that leaves a very big chunk of us --- 90%! -- who get bc without a family history.  Even my doctors kept asking if I had a family history.  When I reminded them that only 10% of bc is related to family history, they looked uncomfortable, because even they think that family history is the biggest risk factor. The way it works is that IF you have a family history, your risk goes way up.  But, bc hits a LOT of people who do not have a family history -- like 90% of us.  I think the emphasis on family history makes most women, including me before my diagnosis,think that it is not highly probable, but in fact, it is!  Here's some stats from a study that indicate family history accounts for about 10% but other factors are much higher risk, and, in fact, it's not clear why 60% of the sample got bc.

 "Our estimates suggest that later age at first birth and nulliparity accounted for a large fraction of U.S. breast cancer cases, 29.5%; higher income contributed 18.9%, and family history of breast cancer accounted for 9.1% Taken together, these  risk factors accounted for approximately 41% in the U.S. population."

 So, I think it is up to us to bust this myth wide open as it does a disservice to all the thousands of women who will get bc without a family history and be so unaware.

Skyrat

Bcinfo - this is a good thread.  I also did not have a family history of breast cancer - had done my geneology on all sides back several generations.  I did do self exams, the way I had been taught (laying on my back).  Figured that 50 would be soon enough to start mammograms - after all, with no history, why go through the indignity and pain?  So, I did get my first (and last) mammogram at 50...Stage IIIC locally advanced breast cancer, which was restaged 1 year later as Stage IV with mets.  I cannot tell enough people - do your self exams sitting or standing.  Be sure to check way back under the arm and on the side as well as the breast itself.  Get those mammograms.  Don't lull yourself because you have no history - and do give cancer a thought.

pinoideae

Here is an excellent link to breast cancer myths:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/bc_myths/