Question about risk factors

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Shashi11962
Shashi11962 Member Posts: 23
edited June 2014 in High Risk for Breast Cancer

Hi all. I'm wondering if someone can answer this for me. I'm a 48-year-old, overweight woman with dense breast tissue. I had a breast reduction in 2005 and have a lot of scar tissue. No one in my family has ever had breast cancer, thank goodness, so I know my risk is a lot less. However, I had my ovaries removed in 2007 and have been using HRT since that time. Also, in 2007, I was diagnosed and treated for early stage cervical cancer. Everything has been normal since that time.  

I have had a couple of breast cancer "scares" and am currently being monitored for a lump I found last January. It was benign, but when I went back in July for a follow-up, it had changed, and the radiologist told me that he though the doctor that had done the biopsy hadn't gotten enough of a sample and that it was a false negative. A more extensive biopsy showed that it was negative. I just had my five-month follow-up, and the lump hadn't changed. I go in again in February for another check on it.

Given as I don't have a family history of breast cancer, but I do take HRT; and considering all of the other things I mentioned, is it very likely that I'll ever really have to worry about cancer? 

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited August 2013

    I'm 49 and was just diagnosed in July. No family history, dense breast tissue, it excellent health, proper weight, exercised, ate healthy, no other health issues (other than IBS) etc… and I still got it. (Less than 2% risk)… and no HRT. It's really hard to predict.

    As someone with dense breast you need to demand they watch you closely. As you can see my tumor was 5.5cm (A-small B cup) before they found it. I would discuss with your doctor about if the risk associated with taking HRT out weighs the benefit or not. My 73 YO mom, also has dense breast and is taking HRT for her osteoporosis. Her doctor feels the benefit out wieghts the risk in her case. She needs to lose weight as well. 

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  • DocBabs
    DocBabs Member Posts: 775
    edited December 2010

    By taking HRT you are upping the odds.If however you feel that the benefit you get outweighs that risk then continue.Without HRT your risks are the same as every other woman which is to say, who knows? I took that chance too. i was on HRT for 18 years. i felt great. I had mammos every year, all negative, saw my GYN every 6 months for paps, that too was negative. Then 2 years ago mammo showed calcifications. After stereotactic biopsy followed by an excisional biopsy diagnosis of LCIS. Off HRT forever. I still think I got a way easy, for now.

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  • hopefloatsagain
    hopefloatsagain Member Posts: 2
    edited January 2011

    I just met with my genetic counselor and she said that cervical cancer has not been tied to an increased chance of breast cancer. However, HRT has. I would have a conversation with your doctor about the HRT and see what she/he's opinion would be. My genetic counselor asked me specifically if I had been on HRT. It was determined that carry the BRACA1 gene. 

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  • otter
    otter Member Posts: 6,099
    edited January 2011

    Shashi, there's a fairly good discussion about risk factors for breast cancer on the American Cancer Society website:  http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/DetailedGuide/breast-cancer-risk-factors

    Here's what that page says about familial risk of breast cancer:

    "About 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, resulting directly from gene defects (called mutations) inherited from a parent. ...

    "Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have this disease.  Having one first-degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) with breast cancer approximately doubles a woman's risk. Having 2 first-degree relatives increases her risk about 3-fold.  The exact risk is not known, but women with a family history of breast cancer in a father or brother also have an increased risk of breast cancer. Altogether, less than 15% of women with breast cancer have a family member with this disease. This means that most (over 85%) women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of this disease."

    I've added the bold-faced print to those last sentences to make a point:  Even though the risk is higher for women who've had close family members diagnosed with breast cancer, the vast majority of cases of breast cancer (85%) occur in women with no family history at all.

    And, as others here have said, use of HRT will increase your risk.

    otter

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  • hymil
    hymil Member Posts: 826
    edited January 2011
    i don't think any of us can ignore the risk of cancer - you have done a round already - successfully! - and one thing that's going well, is that you are already being monitored closely. Too many women of our generation are so busy looking after everyone else that they neglect to look after themselves properly. Having done that, the way i look at it, there's things you can change and things you can't change. Biggest risk factors of BC is female and older - One you are born with, the other you acquire anyhow if you live long enough! You cannot at 48 change your parents or the genes you were born with, and as for the weight, well i'm sure you are doing your best with that, like all of us. (*sigh*).  HRT is one of the known risk factors for BC but it's also a total quality of life saver for many of us, only you know how bad your symptoms were before you started it. Maybe look at the lifestyle factors and decide to change one thing, whichever is easiest for you? Might be that adding exercise would be a easy change to make, that reduces risk of many cancers - though lots of us here will tell you that being active is no guarantee that you won't get cancer all the same. It's such a lottery really.  
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  • deonnash
    deonnash Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2011

    I completly read your problem about breast cancer ,Really it is a very compligetive thing for all , I like to suggest you that you has taken good action as soon as to possible.Nothing more,Thanks.....

     DIM Supplement

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited January 2011

    The above post is spam.  I've reported it.  If another few people push the "Report this Post" button, it will be gone. 

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