There’s no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, but everyday choices — plus regular screening — can meaningfully lower your risk and help catch the disease early, when it’s most treatable.

About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The good news: When it’s found early and still localized, the five-year survival rate is 99%. That makes breast cancer prevention one of the most powerful tools you have.

Lifestyle Changes That Support Breast Cancer Prevention

Research shows several everyday habits can lower your risk.

Limit Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the most preventable cancer risk factors. Even small amounts can raise breast cancer risk, so if you drink, keep it to no more than one drink a day — and less is better.

Stay Active

Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Regular exercise supports a healthy weight and is linked to lower breast cancer risk.

Manage Your Weight

Carrying extra body weight, especially after menopause, raises breast cancer risk by increasing long-term hormone exposure and inflammation in the body. Ask your primary care provider about a healthy weight range for you.

Eat a Balanced Diet

A diet built around vegetables, fruit, calcium-rich dairy and lean protein — and lighter on red and processed meat — may help lower risk. Some research also points to benefits from a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.

Talk About Hormone Therapy and Birth Control

Combination hormone therapy after menopause and hormonal birth control are both linked to a small increase in breast cancer risk. Talk with your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks for your situation.

If You Smoke, Ask for Help Quitting

Smoking, and possibly secondhand smoke, may raise breast cancer risk. Your care team can help you find a quit plan that works for you.

Consider Breastfeeding

If you have a baby, breastfeeding may offer some protective effect — the longer you breastfeed, the greater the benefit.

Early Detection: Your Best Defense

Because breast cancer often causes no symptoms early on, routine screening is essential. Getting your annual mammogram and performing a regular breast self-exam can help detect cancer early. 

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

• Being female — about 100 times more women than men develop breast cancer.
• Older age — the risk of breast cancer increases with age.
• Ethnicity — Caucasian women are at slightly higher risk of developing breast cancer than are African American or Asian women. African American women are at higher risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, a specific subtype of the disease.
• History of breast cancer or prior treatment with radiation therapy to the breast/chest in childhood or early adulthood
• Consuming more than two alcoholic drinks per day on a regular basis
• Dense breast tissue — women with dense as opposed to fatty breast tissue are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
• Early onset of menstruation or late menopause
• Exposure to certain drugs, including DES, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and certain other medications

Family History and Genetics Risk

Genetic mutations happen when your cells divide and make new cells. During this process, cells write all the instructions for your body (eye color, height, skin color, and so on) by copying the original gene’s instructions. Mutations occur when there is an error in this copying process. If you have an error, your genetic instructions may not be readable by the cells. It may have missing parts or extra parts. All of this can mean that your cells can’t function as they normally should.

Some cancers, such as breast cancer, are caused by specific mutations. These can be discovered with genetic testing, which looks at a sample of your blood to check the DNA in your cells.

Genetic testing may be recommended if you have:

• A strong family health history of breast or ovarian cancer
• A moderate family health history of breast or ovarian cancer and are of Ashkenazi or Eastern European Jewish ancestry
• A personal history of breast cancer and meet certain criteria (related to age of diagnosis, type of cancer, presence of certain other cancers or cancer in both breasts, ancestry and family health history)
• A personal history of ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer
• A known BRCA1, BRCA2 or other inherited gene mutation in your family

Family history and genetic testing results do not mean you definitely will or will not develop breast cancer. Genetic testing can guide your decisions, and a genetic counselor will walk you through your test results and possible options.

What Is Not a Risk Factor for Breast Cancer?

Knowing what your risk factors are and understanding what may contribute to developing cancer is important. Here are some factors that do not increase your risk:

• Underarm antiperspirants and deodorants do not cause breast cancer.
• Wearing bras, including underwire bras or tight-fitting bras, does not restrict lymph flow or cause cancer.
• Breast implants do not increase breast cancer risk, though they can make your mammogram harder to read.
• Caffeine consumption (coffee, tea or soda) is not linked to breast cancer.
• Abortion and miscarriage do not affect a woman’s future risk of developing breast cancer.
• Breast size does not influence whether a person will develop breast cancer.

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