Breast cancer is a serious health issue for women and understanding the risk factors can help a person in early detection and prevention. In a study conducted in 2023, among 12,808 patients with malignant breast cancer, 17.09% of patients were <=40 years, with the youngest patient being 21 years. Further, among this younger age group, 30% of tumors were Triple-negative tumors, which are known as the most aggressive form of tumor, as it is a fast-growing quick-to-spread tumor. As per various global studies, Triple-negative breast tumors are common among certain ethnicities as well as patients with genetic mutations in the BRCA1 gene. Thus, with the age of onset slowly declining among Indians, it is important to be aware of the predisposing risk factors that may contribute to breast cancer.
Some of the key risk factors every woman should know are as follows:
