
What causes breast cancer?
Breast cancer is a serious condition, holding the position of the most common type of cancer among UK women. Knowing the causes of a condition can help you to avoid potential triggers, but it’s not always as simple as that.
On occasion, it can be hard even for scientists and researchers to understand what causes a particular condition - and sometimes the causes can be linked to things you can’t control, such as your genes.
Below, we look at the causes of breast cancer and what you can do to reduce your risk of developing the condition.

Is breast cancer hereditary?
In some cases, a higher risk of developing breast cancer can be inherited in your genes. This is why you may be more likely to develop the condition if a close blood relative has had it. Some faulty genes, such as the faulty BRCA gene, have been associated with breast cancer - but inheriting such a gene doesn’t mean you will definitely get breast cancer. Similarly, not inheriting a faulty gene doesn’t 100% prevent you from developing breast cancer.
This is because other factors can have an impact on your risk level.
These factors include:
· Age - breast cancer is more common among women over the age of 50
· Having dense breast tissue - this is something that might be flagged to you after a mammogram screening
· Having other breast conditions
· Having higher levels of progesterone, testosterone or oestrogen.
It’s also the case that certain lifestyle factors can make you more likely to develop breast cancer in the future. This includes smoking - one of many reasons why quitting smoking is beneficial for your health.
Although breast cancer is overwhelmingly more common in women, it’s worth being aware that people of any gender can develop this condition. That is because we all have breast tissue that can become cancerous.

Can you reduce your risk of developing breast cancer?
Many of the factors outlined above are unavoidable, meaning there’s little you can do to prevent them from affecting you. However, there are a number of things you can try to reduce your risk of developing the condition, and increase your chances of spotting it early if it does develop.
In order to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer, you can:
- Reduce your alcohol consumption - aim for less than 14 units per week
- Aim for a healthy weight, particularly if you are significantly over- or underweight
- Quit smoking
- Talk to your GP about whether any medications you are taking could affect your risk - some hormonal treatments could affect the levels of testosterone, oestrogen or progesterone in your body.
You can also increase your chances of catching breast cancer early by:
- Regularly checking your breasts for lumps
- Attending mammograms when invited - these breast screenings can spot lumps of cancerous tissue too small to see or feel yourself
- Having genetic testing if you have a family history of breast cancer - this can help to determine whether you are at a higher risk.
If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, there are treatments available that can help to reduce that risk, including medication. It’s also worth knowing that having a mastectomy (the removal of breast tissue) can help if you are at a very high risk. However, your GP will only recommend this if there’s a very serious risk that you could develop breast cancer, and there are plenty of less invasive treatments that will be considered first.
Whether you have reason to believe that you’re at a significant risk of developing breast cancer or not, you can always speak to your GP about any concerns you may have. As always, it’s best to be proactive, regularly check your breasts for lumps and attend mammogram appointments even if you don’t think you’re particularly at risk - because if a cancer is present, catching it early offers the best chances of early treatment and minimised suffering.