Link between Breast size & Breast Cancer
There is no scientific evidence that link between breast size and breast cancer. Obesity puts women at a higher risk of breast cancer, and women who are overweight often have larger breasts. So, this could be one reason that contributes to the association.
Women with overly large breasts often have concerns about how their breast size may be affecting their health. In addition to issues like back pain, poor posture, and skin irritation, some women wonder if having a fuller bust creates a higher chance of getting breast cancer.
A direct link between breast size and breast cancer has not been found. While there is some overlap of genetic factors that lead to breast growth and breast cancer, how these factors interact is unknown. A more important question is not breast size, but rather breast content. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that having dense breast tissue is a risk factor for breast cancer. People may also assume that finding a lump in their breast would be harder if you wear a triple-D cup compared to someone who wears, say, an A cup.This is because dense breasts tend to have more connective tissue than fatty tissue, which can sometimes complicate the process of identifying tumors in mammograms. As a result, the CDC says women with dense breasts are more prone to getting breast cancer.
Obesity plays a significant role in the development of breast cancer, especially for post-menopausal women. Often, obese women have larger breasts than the average woman, which may suggest that those with larger breasts are at higher risk. However, it is more likely that weight or body mass index (BMI) is the risk factor rather than actual breast size.
Factors that affects Breast Cancer Risk Assessment –
Other than weight, there are key factors you should consider when assessing your breast cancer risk. Gender, age, family history, genetic predisposition, and alcohol consumption are a few known risk factors.
• Gender and Age
Being a woman and growing older are the greatest risk factors for breast cancer. While it can occur at a younger age, most breast cancer is found in women 50 years and older.
• Family History
Up to 10% of breast cancer cases are associated with family history. Research shows that having a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) with breast cancer doubles your risk.
Some of the familial patterns that increase risk include:
• Family members with multiple types of cancer
• First or second-degree family member with high-grade prostate cancer
• Multiple first or second-degree relatives with breast cancer
• Male family member with breast cancer
• More than one family member with the same type of cancer
• Family member with cancer in both breasts or ovaries
• Relative with both breast cancer and ovarian cancer
If you have any of these familial risk factors, talk to your healthcare provider. They may suggest more intensive breast screening (such as at an earlier age) or genetic testing
• Alcohol Consumption
Heavy alcohol use can directly damage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in the cells of breast tissue. Damage like this can cause cells to multiply abnormally and at a heightened rate, giving rise to precancerous and cancerous tumors.
• Genetic Factors
When a mutated gene has been passed down from a parent, including the father, it increases a woman’s chance of breast cancer. The most common genetic mutations associated with breast and ovarian cancer occur in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Typically, these genes help fight cancer by suppressing tumors. However, when they are mutated, it allows tumors to develop.
• Vitamin D
Low blood levels of vitamin D are associated with a high risk of breast cancer compared to women with high levels of the vitamin. For example, one study found that women who got plenty of vitamin D in early life — either in their diet or by spending time outdoors, where sun exposure triggers vitamin D production in the skin — had a lower risk for breast cancer. Another investigation linked low blood levels of vitamin D with a 50% high risk for breast cancer.
• Breast Density
Breasts are regarded as dense if they have less fat and more connective and glandular tissue. These features are more common in younger women’s breasts, but they are also found in many older women, especially those taking combined hormone therapy (estrogen and progestin).
About 43% of women aged 40 to 74 have dense breast tissue, and women with dense breasts are at higher risk of developing breast cancer.Further research is needed to determine the exact cause.
Unfortunately, breast tumors (both cancerous and noncancerous) can be difficult to distinguish against a background of dense breast tissue on a mammogram. That’s because tumors and dense tissue appear white; fatty tissue, on the other hand, looks darker and provides a contrast to the tumors
Conclusion –
While obesity and dense breasts increase the risk of breast cancer, there is no scientific evidence that breast size does.
Being a woman and getting older are two significant risk factors. Family history, genetic mutations, vitamin D, dense breasts, and alcohol intake can also increase risk. Those with a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 have a 50% chance of developing breast cancer than those who do not have the mutation.
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