How often is breast cancer inherited?

In most cases, women suffering from breast cancer are not based on hereditary components. The proportion of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation-induced breast cancer cases is as high as one in 10 women with breast cancer. Since men fall ill much less frequently, the data situation here is uncertain.

However, it should not be ignored that BRCA mutations are not the only causes of hereditary breast cancer in the family, since other gene mutations can also increase the risk of individual breast cancer. How high the individual risk for a person is, must be estimated by your doctor, especially considering the family history. If several family members are suffering from breast or ovarian cancer or if one of these cancers has already occurred in a family member in young adulthood, it is advisable to consult a physician about your individual risk. Since BRCA mutations are inherited dominantly, the risk of being a carrier for one affected parent is up to 50% for the offspring, if the other parent is not affected by the mutation. If you belong to the risk group, you should have a genetic test done to better assess your own risk.

Are there psychological or mental causes?

In the discussion about the genesis of cancer, the question of whether psychological or mental stress could be the cause for the malignant degeneration of cells is a recurring theme. Some people even believe that certain personality traits could be cancer-promoting.This type of cancer leaves room for speculation, but the scientific proof of such theories is problematic and could not be reliably clarified until today. It is possible that there is a connection between certain psychological processes, which in turn lead to a feeling of stress in the affected person, but whether this has an effect on the risk of cancer has not been proven with certainty.

Typical risk factors for breast cancer

Risk factors include the consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products. This is not only a risk factor for certain lung diseases and countless types of cancer, but smoking can also significantly increase the genesis of breast cancer. The length and age of smoking plays an important role here.

How exactly smoking promotes the development of cancer is the subject of current research. Excessive alcohol consumption can promote the development of breast cancer and is thus considered a risk factor. Of course, this does not apply to small amounts of alcohol, because the risk increases only with heavy or abnormal consumption.