Breast cancer risk could include environment and socioeconomic
factors Your family history can reveal whether you are at risk
of developing breast cancer, but new studies show more women
without a history are being diagnosed with the disease. Now
researchers want more consideration of environmental factors
that may influence a woman’s risk. The report, “Breast Cancer
and the Environment — Prioritizing Prevention,” indicates that
several environmental factors, like how much alcohol a woman
consumes, exercise, exposure to industrial waste and pesticides,
and socioeconomic factors can play a role. Studies of women who
have moved from Japan, known for low cancer rates, to the United
States, show that their breast cancer risk increases once living
here for a prolonged period of time. Dr. Dev Paul of Rose
Medical Hospital’s Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers says new
studies are revealing important information about non-gene
related causes of cancer. “We know that young women in their
teens, if they get exposed to radia