Is a 26-year-old woman at risk of BC due to a family history?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 26-year-old woman. My mother is an HR-positive breast cancer survivor; she has been fighting this disease for the past five years. She has undergone all sorts of treatment, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, and I know how mentally and physically drained she is.

As a daughter of hers, am I at risk of breast cancer?
I do not want to face such difficulties in life, with such a family history. What can I do to prevent the disease from occurring?
As of now, I do not have any symptoms. What are the following methods?
Do tests need to be done?

Please guide me and help me prevent breast cancer.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Your mother was treated for HR (hormone receptor)-positive breast cancer. Usually, HR-positive breast cancers are better than HR-negative breast cancers, as hormone-positive breast cancers tend to grow slowly compared to other hormone types. These types of cancers are less aggressive cancers, and hereditary breast cancers are more common in HR-negative than HR-positive.

What was the status of her BRCA (breast cancer) genes? In case she has BRCA-positive breast cancer, then you may also need to do a BRCA genetic test and enroll in a breast screening clinic.

Factors that may increase the risk of breast cancer include:

A family history of breast cancer.
A personal history of breast cancer.
A personal history of breast conditions.
Beginning your period at a younger age.
Beginning menopause at an older age.
Dense breast tissue.
Drinking alcohol.

A few guidelines that can help prevent breast cancer include:

Avoid becoming overweight.
Breastfeed babies for as long as possible.
Eat healthy.
Keep physically active.
Enroll in breast screening at an early age (25 years of age) if there is a positive family history of breast cancer.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.