Some of the risk factors can be avoided, but most cannot, like age, for example. Those risk factors that can be avoided include use of alcohol, smoking, a high fat diet and body weight. Alcohol is clearly linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer. Compared with non-drinkers, women who consume one alcoholic drink a day have a very small increase in risk, and those who have 2 to 5 drinks daily have about 1.5 times the risk of women who drink no alcohol. Also, while no studies have yet linked cigarette smoking to breast cancer, the carcinogenic effect of smoking on most body tissues has been well established.
Smoking is the single most preventable cause of disease and death in the United States today.
In addition, while more research is needed to better understand the impact of fat intake and body weight on breast cancer risk, these factors have been shown to increase the risk of developing several other types of cancer. African-American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than white women but have a higher mortality rate. The higher breast cancer mortality among African-American women is related to the fact that a larger percentage of their breast cancers are diagnosed at a later, less treatable stage. These facts underscore the need for all women to follow the three-step program for early detection of breast cancer. Tamoxifen works against it, in part, by interfering with the activity of estrogen, a female hormone that promotes the growth of breast cancer cells.