Who has a high risk of developing breast cancer?

The American Cancer Society recommends that women with a lifetime risk of breast cancer of 20% or greater be screened annually with breast MRI in addition to mammography regardless of breast density. For more information on calculating a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer, visit https://www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool/.  In addition, genetic counseling can help determine the lifetime risk of breast cancer and thus help a woman decide if additional breast cancer screening is appropriate for her.

Factors that greatly increase the risk of breast cancer include:

• The BRCA gene mutation
• A family history of a first-degree relative who has a BRCA gene mutation (for those individuals who have not been tested)
• Li-Fraumeni, Cowden/PTEN, or Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome
• History of chest radiation between the ages of 10 and 30
• A history of more than one first-degree relative with breast cancer
• A personal history of invasive breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
• A personal history of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS)or atypical hyperplasia