Bad family history

[musiknerd]

My mother, grandmother, and aunt all died of breast cancer before the age of 35.  Two other aunts were diagnosed with breast cancer, had double mastectomies, and are still alive.  I am 18 years old and wondering what I should be doing about this right now...I have heard that at my age, mammograms are pretty useless because of dense breast tissue, but I am starting to be concerned that I should be doing SOMETHING.  I do monthly self-breast exams, but I feel like I should be doing something more.  I am also wondering what my chances of getting breast cancer are, due to my family history.  I am guessing that its around 100%.

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear musiknerd, Breast cancer is a multi-factorial disease, and based on one risk factor alone does not automatically mean you will develop breast cancer.  A family history of breast cancer increases your relative risk of getting breast cancer.  Meaning; if a woman, who did not have a family history of breast cancer, risk was 1.0, yours with a mother who had breast cancer before menopause your risk in relation to family history would be 2.7%.  Other factors are taken into account such as age, race/ethnicity, menstrual history, etc.  


Other risk factors for breast cancer such as smoking, high fat, high calorie foods, obesity, are some things we have control of so if you smoke stop, if you don't - don't start.  Watch your diet, a high fat, high calorie diet and obesity are risk factors that you can control.  Although this doesn't mean you won't get cancer but you are lowering the risk factors.  

Doing monthly self breast exam, yearly clinical exam by a health care professional are the recommended screening.  Make sure your doctors are aware of your family history.