_🔹BREAST CANCER_ ▪️Breast cancer is a broad term describing malignancies that develop in breasts. ▪️It is a malignant tumor from the epithelium of the breast. ▪️It is the most common cause of death in middle aged women in western countries,and it is slowly becoming a major killer in sub-Saharan countries such as Zimbabwe. ▪️ In Zimbabwe,it is the second commonest malignancy affecting women. ▪️There is a 1 in 9 lifetime risk for women. _🔹RISK FACTORS_ ▪️There are a lot of risk factors for developing breast cancer. _(a)AGE._ ▪️Carcinomas of the breast are extremely rare in women below 20 years of age. ▪️ Thereafter, the incidence rises steadily so that by the age of 90 years of age, nearly 20% of women are affected. ▪️Peak age of incidence in western countries is the 60s. ▪️ However, in our population, the peak age of incidence is lower which has been attributed to our life expectancy. _(b)GENDER._ ▪️Less than 0.5% of breast cancer patients are males. _(c)RACE._ ▪️Breast cancer is more common in white women. ▪️It is more common amongst Ashkenazi Jews. _(d) GENETIC._ ▪️Breast cancer occurs more commonly in women who have a family history of breast cancer, particularly if the family member got cancer when they were young. ▪️Nonetheless, breast cancer attributable to a specific mutation accounts for 5% of cases (these include mutations in genes such as BRCA1 & BRCA2). ▪️Other associated conditions include HNPCC (Lynch II syndrome) and Li Fraumeni’s syndrome (inherited p53 mutation). ▪️It also happens in women with a positive family history for other malignancies, particularly ovarian, endometrial and colorectal carcinoma for this reason. _(e)PREVIOUS BREAST CANCER._ ▪️ This increases the risk of a tumour having spread to another breast. _(f) EARLY MENSTRUATION AND LATE MENOPAUSE_ ▪️Early menarche and late menopause are known to increase women's risk of developing breast cancer.