Your Breast Cancer Risk Assessment

 

In 1940, the lifetime risk of a woman developing breast cancer was 5%, or 1 in 20. Today that risk is at 13% or more than 1 in 8. This risk assessment tool is designed to estimate a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer based on well-researched risk factors. Having medium or high risk for breast cancer does not necessarily mean that you’re going to develop breast cancer. It is imperative to know that even though some risk factors cannot be changed (age or family history) still many risks associated with breast cancer can be lowered and in fact mitigated. It is my sincere hope that this risk assessment tool will educate you and inspire you to become proactive with your breast health. For additional information on breast cancer prevention please see Ten Ways to Help Prevent Breast Cancer or many other articles published on this web site.

 

 

1. Family History

Add 15 points if you, your mother, sister or daughter has had breast cancer (15 points maximum) (If you scored 15 points in #1 above, skip #1a).

1a. Add 10 points maximum if your Grandmother, Aunt or Cousin has had breast cancer (maternal only)

 

2. Age

Add the following number to your score:

Double your age, round to the nearest 10 and drop the zero

(ex. Age 52 = 50, drop the 0, add 5 points)

 

3. Pregnancy

Add 1 point if 1st pregnancy in twenties

Add 2 points if 1st pregnancy in thirties

Add 3 points if 1st pregnancy in forties

Add double your age points if no pregnancies

 

4. Birth Control

Add to your score the number of years on birth control, divided in half.

(ex. 6 years on birth control, add 3)

 

5. At What Age Did Your Menstrual Cycle Begin?

Add 1 point for 12 years

Add 2 points for 11 years 

Add 3 points for 10 years or earlier

 

6.Late Menopause

Add 1 point for every year after age 54 up to 5 points maximum

 

7. Hormone Replacement Therapy

Add 2 points for each 5 years on hormone therapy (synthetic HRT)

 

8. Weight

Add 3 points or each 20 pounds overweight

 

9. Biopsy

Add 1 point for each biopsy

 

10. Ethnicity

Add one point if you are African-American or Ashkenazi Jewish

 

11.  Nursing

SUBTRACT one point for each child nursed for at least 3 months

 

12. Breast Density

Have you ever been told or do you know that you have dense breasts?

BRAIDS II - add 1 point, BRAIDS III - add 2 points, BRAIDS IV - add 3 points. 

For more information about breast density please see Your Breast Density Matters. If you do not know the answer, please skip this section.

 

13. Alcohol Consumption

2 drinks per week, add 1 point

4 drinks per week, add 2 points

over 4 drinks per week, add 3 points

Risk increases with alcohol consumed, see Alcohol and Breast Cancer

 

 

Final Score:

30 points or above = High Risk

20 points or above = Medium Risk

19 points or less = Low Risk

 

Please note that other risk factors exist, but are regrettably not able to be included in this assessment. These include: smoking, radiation exposure, chemical exposures, dietary and nutritional influences, emotional health, stress, trauma, hormonal imbalances, endocrine disorders, BRACA1 or BRACA2 gene mutations, life style, etc. 

 

If you have these or other risk factors, then this assessment’s results underestimate your risk. You should not use these results for medical decisions, they are just estimates.