If we have, it's up to us to make it livable again. Breast Cancer One reason scientists are intrigued by xenoestrogens is that 70 percent of breast cancer cases are not preceded by the established risk factors. Over the past couple of years, scientists have added and subtracted some new risk factors. For example, fat consumption used to be considered a risk factor. It isn't anymore-although meat consumption now is.
Smoking also increases a woman's risk of breast cancer.
In an analysis of 600,000 women, Eugenia Calle, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society found that risk increased with the number of cigarettes smoked. Even exposure to electromagnetic fields, a cause of leukemia in children, might increase a woman's likelihood of developing breast cancer. Dana Loomis, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, compared death certificates of women employed in electrical trades to those who had other professions. Let's Live magazine. For diagnosis and treatment, consult your physician.