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Lifestyle

Does breast cancer run in families? Here’s how family history can affect your risk

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 27 Oct 2026 1 day ago

New Delhi: Family history has a major role in the risk of breast cancer. Having one or more family members diagnosed with the disease has an important effect on a woman’s risk; however, there are many women who develop breast cancer without any family history, and some women with strong family histories do not develop breast cancer. Learning about the factors which affect the risk of breast cancer has great value and can inform women so that they may take action.

Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of the cells within the breast, and like any other type of cancer, breast cancer has no definite cause. Breast cancer risk can be affected by many genetic, hormonal, reproductive, and lifestyle factors. Having a breast cancer risk factor doesn’t mean you’ll definitely get the cancer.

What influence does family history have?

A person’s risk for breast cancer is increased by a family history, most especially when her mother, sister, or daughter has the disease. The risk is likely greater if multiple relatives have been diagnosed, if the disease occurred at a young age, or if ovarian cancer is in the family history.

While there are specific hereditary mutations that are responsible for substantially increasing the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, most cases are not linked to such genetic changes. The majority of breast cancer cases occur in women with no apparent hereditary risk.

For women who suspect that they have a strong family history or are known to carry an inherited mutation, there should be an open dialogue between the woman and a health professional to address her particular risk factors and potential disease prevention and screening options. In view of their individual and family health histories, a person may need to consider and obtain a referral for genetic counselling, risk testing and/or more advanced breast screening or disease management options.

Written by Dr. Anil Thakwani, Director & Head – Radiation Oncology, ShardaCare – Healthcity

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