Women with the following conditions or characteristics are at a higher-than-average risk for developing breast cancer.

Women (comprise over 99 percent of cases; men comprise under one percent)

• Increasing age

• History of cancer in one breast

• History of benign breast disease

• Never giving birth or first pregnancy after 30

• Family history (first-degree relative) of breast cancer (significant for premenopausal women)

• Early onset of menstruation and late menopause

• Possibly, long-term oral contraceptive use (although this is controversial)

• High doses of ionizing radiation before age 35

• History of cancer of the colon, thyroid, endometrium, or ovar

• Diet high in animal fat, excessive alcohol consumption, and,possibly, obesity

• Alterations in certain genes

• Breast implants

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