Risk Factors
Lifestyle & health
A three-star rating system has been used to give you an indication of the level of breast cancer risk associated with the factors below. The greater the number of stars, the higher the risk.
Affluence
Breast cancer occurs more frequently in women who live in more affluent areas. This probably relates to lifestyle factors.
Alcohol consumption
Drinking more than two glasses of alcohol each day is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. This includes beer, wine and spirits. Your risk increases with each additional 10g of alcohol intake per day.
Hodgkin’s disease
Breast cancer occurs more frequently in women who have had Hodgkin’s disease. This is generally considered to be a consequence of treatment with radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Exposure to high levels of ionising radiation
High dose ionising radiation, as is experienced with some cancer treatments and in certain environments, is associated with increased breast cancer risk. The highest risks are associated with an earlier age of exposure.
Exposure to tobacco smoke
Recent research raises the possibility that environmental tobacco smoke or passive smoking may increase the risk of breast cancer in some subgroups of women.
Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES)
Research has shown women born to mothers who used the anti-miscarriage drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) during pregnancy are at greater risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who were not exposed to the drug.
DES is a synthetic oestrogen which was used in the past to prevent miscarriage. DES was used in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s and to a lesser extent, in the 1960s and 1970s.
