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A member asked:
What causes breast cancer in people under 40 if there is no family history of the disease and no smoking involved?
3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
We Don't Know: While we have made strides on the treatment end, we still struggle to understand the "why". What we do know is that 85-90% of cases occur in people with no known hereditary risk factors. We also see links with high (unopposed) estrogen states (early menarche, late menopause, no children or late-in-life, obesity).
Answered 12/9/2013
5.5k views
Unknown: There are some increased breast cancer risks associated with obesity, hormone medication use, early age at first menstruation, late age at first childbirth, etc. Only about 15% of breast cancers occur because of genetic inheritance.
Answered 10/4/2016
5.5k views
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