Are larger breasts more likely to cause breast cancer?

I am 38 years old and my breasts are much larger than those of my peers. Does larger breasts mean a higher risk of breast cancer? (Hong Thanh, My Tho)

Reply:

Breast cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the breast, creating malignant tumors that can invade and metastasize to distant sites. Women are more likely to develop breast cancer than men.

There is no link between breast size and cancer risk. Women with larger breasts are more likely to experience back pain, shoulder pain, and spinal fatigue, but these are not risk factors for breast cancer. Large breasts make breast examinations more difficult, potentially missing lesions or abnormalities. On mammograms, dense breast tissue appears as a solid white area, making it difficult to detect breast lesions.

One of the key risk factors for breast cancer is dense breast tissue. Breast tissue consists of milk glands, milk ducts, connective tissue, and fatty tissue. Women with dense breast tissue typically have more connective tissue (fibrous tissue that helps hold other tissues in place) than fatty tissue. Women with 75% denser breast tissue have a 4-6 times higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to other women.

There is no link between breast size and the risk of breast cancer. Photo: Freepik

In addition, other factors including gender (female), age, family history, gene mutations such as BRCA1, BRCA2, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, early puberty, late menopause... are also associated with breast cancer.

Obese postmenopausal women are more susceptible to this type of cancer due to the presence of an enzyme that metabolizes androgens from the adrenal glands into estrogen. This enzyme is abundant in fatty tissue. Estrogen plays a crucial role in the formation of breast cancer. Weight or body mass index (BMI) is a more significant risk factor than breast size.

Regardless of breast size, women should have regular checkups and mammograms as recommended by their doctor. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, and having a healthy diet and lifestyle will improve overall health and reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Master of Medicine Huynh Ba Tan
Breast Surgery Department, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

Readers can ask questions about cancer here for doctors to answer.

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