Breast cancer develops in the milk ducts. Larger breasts are composed of more fat but have the same size milk ducts as smaller breasts. If a woman has experienced another type of cancer, her risks for developing breast cancer increase in proportion to her age. In some families, a brother will have colon cancer and a sister will have ovarian cancer, while my patient develops breast cancer. Similarly, if a woman has experienced breast cancer she is at increased risk for colon, ovarian, and uterine cancer.
Studies show that estrogen increases the risk of a woman developing breast cancer.
It is important for women to work closely with their physician in deciding about estrogen replacement therapy as they approach menopause. Use of synthetic estrogen has an increased risk factor of 1.3 times. If a woman is at high risk for osteoporosis, then the small risk increase for use of estrogen may be justified to offset the risk to her bones. Even as the results of studies accumulate, the best advice remains the same. Early detection through monthly BSEs, regular checkups, and mammograms produce the best long-term results.