A Review of Modifiable Risk Factors in Young Women for the Prevention of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in women aged less than 40 years and the second most common cause of cancer death in this age group. Global rates of young onset breast cancer have risen steadily over the last twenty years. Although young women with breast cancer have a higher frequency of underlying pathogenic mutations in high penetrance breast cancer susceptibility genes (CSG) than older women, the vast majority of young breast cancer patients are not found to have a germline CSG mutation. There is therefore a need to inform young women regarding non-genetic breast cancer risk factors which have the potential to be influenced by changes in individual behaviour. A Pubmed search was performed using the search terms “young” or “early onset”, and “breast cancer” and “modifiable risk”. Titles and abstracts from peer-reviewed publications were screened for relevance. This review presents evidence for potentially modifiable risk factors of breast cancer risk in young women, including lifestyle factors (physical activity, body habitus, alcohol use, smoking, shift work and socioeconomic factors), reproductive and hormonal factors and iatrogenic risks. The extent to which these factors are truly modifiable is discussed and interactions between genetic and non-genetic risk factors are also addressed. Health care professionals have an opportunity to inform young women about breast health and risk when presenting at a “teachable moment”, including the benefits of physical activity and alcohol habits as risk factor. More focussed discussions regarding individual personal risk and benefit should accompany conversations regarding reproductive health and take into consideration both non-modifiable and iatrogenic BC risk factors.