Risk Factors
What raises your risk, what you can change, and why screening still matters.
Knowing your breast cancer risk factors helps you and your doctor make a plan. Some you can change. Some you cannot.
Risk is not destiny. Learning your breast cancer risk factors helps you catch problems early and lower the risks you can control. Having a risk factor does not mean you will get breast cancer, and many women with no known risks still do. That is why breast cancer screening matters for everyone over 40.
What are the main breast cancer risk factors?
The biggest breast cancer risk factors are being a woman and getting older, since most cases are found after 50. Others include a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, inherited BRCA gene changes, dense breasts, early periods or late menopause, past chest radiation and a personal history of breast disease.
Related breast health pages
The changes worth watching for.
Screening frequency guidance by age and risk.
Our full breast health program.
Get screened at no cost.
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Ready When You Are
Know your risk and get screened. Apply for your free mammogram now.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Many women with no known risk factors are still diagnosed. Regular mammograms are for everyone over 40
No. Breast cancer history on either parent's side matters, including a male relative with breast cancer.
Dense breasts have more glandular tissue than fat. They raise risk and can make tumors harder to see on a mammogram.