Talk to your doctor about your risk of breast cancer

All women should talk to their doctor about their risk of developing breast cancer. You don’t have to have a family history of the disease to be at risk – simply being a woman and getting older means that you could develop breast cancer. Your doctor can help you understand what other risk factors you have, and tell you more about tests to diagnose breast cancer early.

A very small number of women are at high risk of developing breast cancer, usually because of their genetic make-up or because of a very strong family history of the disease. If you are one of these women, you may have the option to have:

screening tests earlier or more often than average
genetic risk assessment
some preventive (prophylactic) treatment such as taking anti-estrogen drugs or prophylactic surgeries

Questions to ask your doctor about breast cancer

What are my personal risk factors?

Does my family history put me at higher than average risk?

What can I do to reduce my risk?

What tests should I have?

What are the risks involved?

What happens if my results are not normal?

Is there a cost for the test and if so, how much?

How often should I be tested?

Breast health starts with knowing your breasts. Learn more about what to look for.

Last modified on: 13 December 2009