You will be asked how long it has
been since you first noticed a lump,
whether it has changed at all (for example,
whether it has grown bigger or
changed in texture), and whether you’ve
noticed any skin changes or irritation.
You will also be asked about possible
risk factors. These are things that might
increase your chance of having breast
cancer at some time in your life. Your
risk is higher if:
• you are older. Risk increases with age;
• you have had breast cancer before;
• you have had a breast biopsy in the
past that showed some abnormality; or
• you had radiation treatment for
Hodgkin’s disease in childhood.
Your family’s health history can also
contribute to your risk of getting breast
cancer. The risk is higher if there is a
“strong” history of breast cancer in your
family. You have a strong history if the
person with cancer was your mother, sissister
or daughter. The risk rises if more
than one person in your immediate family
had breast cancer, and if their cancer
was found before menopause or before
they were 50 years of age.
Although these factors are associated
with an increased risk, don’t be too concerned
if some of them apply to you. It
may reassure you to know that most women
with the common risk factors don’t get cancer.
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