Family History of Breast Cancer

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I have a family history of breast cancer, does this mean I will get breast cancer?

Many women have someone in their family who has had breast cancer; this can happen by chance, as the disease is so common. In Australia, the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer before the age of 85 is 1 in 8.  Most women (>90%) will not develop breast cancer, even if they have a close relative who has had breast cancer.

Rarely, breast cancer can be caused by a fault in a gene that can be passed through families. Less than 5% of all breast cancers are related to an inherited genetic fault. This means that in over 95% of cases, breast cancers occur by chance rather than due to a genetic fault in the family.

At your appointment, a thorough family history will be taken and an estimation of your breast cancer risk will be provided to you.

What features of the family history are important?

When assessing your risk of breast cancer, we look at your family history.  Your risk of developing breast cancer may be higher than that of the average woman if your family history includes several close relatives with either breast or ovarian cancer. 

Families with an inherited gene fault tend to have:

  • Women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age (often before the age of 40)

  • Women who develop cancers in both their breasts

  • Women who develop ovarian cancer

  • Women who develop both breast and ovarian cancer

  • Men who develop breast cancer as well as women

  • Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry

An estimation of your breast cancer risk will be undertaken at your appointment.

What should I do if I have a family history of breast cancer?

The following recommendations apply to all women with or without a family history of breast cancer:

  • Be “breast aware” – this means examining your own breasts often enough to be familiar with how they normally feel. This will increase your chances of detecting a change.

  • See a doctor promptly with any breast changes

  • Have a breast examination performed by a doctor every year

  • Begin having screening mammograms every two years from the age of 40-50

Extra monitoring may be recommended depending on your estimated risk. Your estimated risk of breast cancer will be determined at your appointment when we will discuss your family history.

If your estimated risk of developing breast cancer is at or only slightly above average risk, you will be advised to monitor your breasts as outlined above.

If your estimated risk of developing breast cancer is moderately increased, in addition to the recommendations above, it may be recommended that you:

  • Start having screening mammograms at the age of 40 or 5-10 years younger than the age the youngest relative was at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis

  • Have your screening mammograms every year rather than every two years

  • Consider the use of medication, such as tamoxifen, to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer

  • You may also wish to be referred for genetic counselling and/or genetic testing

If your estimated risk of developing breast cancer is thought to be high, in addition to the recommendations for those at a moderately increased risk (see above), further screening and risk reduction options will be discussed with you at your appointment.