This Health Risk Profile estimates your risk of developing breast cancer compared to the average woman. Even more important, it tells you exactly which factors contribute to your risk and what you can do to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. By taking all the cancer risk profiles, you can create a very complete picture of your cancer risk. You'll know which specific cancers you are at higher risk for, and will be able to take action to reduce your chances of developing these types of cancer.

What causes cancer? Even after many years and billions of dollars of research, we still don't know exactly what causes cancer. But we do know how to identify people who are at higher risk of developing specific cancers.

A risk factor is anything that affects your chances of getting a particular disease. You can control some of them, but not all of them. Those you can't control include genetics or family history, and environmental exposures or behaviors that occurred in the past. Those you can control include your current and future behavior, including diet and exercise, and your current and future environmental exposures, such as to tobacco smoke or other chemicals. Remember that risk factors are not absolute: having one or more risk factors does not mean you will definitely get cancer, and avoiding risk factors does not guarantee you will be healthy. But they certainly affect your odds.

What about screening? Screening tests, or early detection, are designed to find cancer when it's most likely to be treatable. The best screening tests discover tumors before they become malignant (when they are still "pre-cancer"). A screening test looks for signs of cancer in people who have no symptoms. A positive screening test is typically followed by more testing to determine if the person actually has cancer and how advanced it might be.

It's important to remember that effective screening tests are only available for 4 kinds of cancer: colon cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer. (There is ongoing controversy about whether prostate cancer screening is effective at all.) Right now, other types of cancers do not have effective screening tests. All of our Health Risk Profiles tell you when you are most likely to benefit from a screening test; be sure to talk with your doctor for more information.

The best defense against cancer is to avoid getting it in the first place. That's why risk factors are so important. By identifying which ones are raising your risk, and taking action to change those that you can, you'll reduce your chances of developing cancer. Our Cancer Risk Profiles help you to take this important step toward improving your health.