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Breast cancer receives much attention during October's awareness month. Although sightings of pink ribbons and breast cancer-related information increase during the month, it's crucial to keep screenings and clinical breast exams at the forefront of preventive care year-round.

A Mayo Clinic Health System high-risk breast consultant and breast cancer awareness advocate shares the top 10 questions about breast cancer asked by people of all ages and backgrounds.

This is the most common question shared during breast clinic consultations. Many people mention that they don't have any family history of breast cancer. However, approximately just 20% of breast cancer is related to family history and genetic links. People are considered at the highest risk after a breast cancer diagnosis in a first-degree relative, such as a mom or sister.

For most people, the answer is to live ahealthy lifestyle, including not smoking, minimizingalcohol consumptionand maintaining an ideal body weight through diet and exercise. The majority of the risk for breast cancer comes from being female, having breasts and aging.

This answer has two parts. The first part is to learn about your family's medical history. The second part is to follow your health care team's recommended preventive screening plan, including a mammogram if necessary.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce update breast screening recommendations annually, but more research studies need to be done.

Your health history and conversations with your health care team will help inform the best approach for you. Although not allhealth care professionalsperform a yearly clinical breast exam as part of an annual physical, you may choose to perform monthly or quarterly self-checks to increase your breast awareness.

Both a yearly breast exam by a medical professional and regular self-checks are recommended if you have a higher risk of breast cancer.

Approximately 30% of people have moderately dense breasts and up to 10% have extremely dense breasts. While dense breast tissue does affect the detection of breast cancer through mammography, a mammogram is still a recommended annual screening starting at age 40 for people with average breast cancer risk.

No strong connection has been identified to suggest any such connection in average-risk patients during childbearing years. However, studies suggest that continuing hormone therapy after age 60 can increase the risk of breast and endometrial cancer.

No, it's quite the opposite. The risk of developing breast cancer decreases based on the duration of time spent pregnant and breastfeeding.

Certain factors, such as radiation exposure from previous cancer treatment, working in an environment with toxins, or otherradiation exposurecan increase your risk of many cancer types, including breast cancer.

The short answer is, for some people, yes. However,genetic testingis recommended only after a discussion with your health care team or breast specialist about your cancer risks. You may be asked to meet with a genetics counselor to ensure that there is a strong indication for testing.

The answer to this question is complex. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans, American Indians, Pacific Islanders and Alaskan Native Americans have a much higher rate of breast cancer and breast cancer-related mortality. However, there are many nuances to this concerning medical equity, racial disparity and other considerations that need to be explored and addressed.

If you have been identified as having a higher risk of breast cancer and referred to a high-risk breast clinic, you can expect a comprehensive meeting with a health care professional who is skilled and passionate aboutbreast cancerprevention and survivorship.

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