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Often
Run In Families
It is the
predisposition to cancer, though, not the cancer itself, that
is inherited. Other non-genetic (i.e., environmental) factors
must be present for the cancer to develop. These factors can
either promote or hinder cancer, thus allowing or not allowing
the disease to develop. If there is cancer in your family, it
does not necessarily mean you will get cancer because
environmental factors play a role also. However, having a
family history of cancer does mean you are at a higher risk.
It is even more important, then, for you to take action to
reduce your risk. The following sections tell you how.
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Lower
Your Estrogen Level To Reduce Your Risk
If a
woman's system is exposed to too much estrogen in her blood
system it puts her at increased risk for some gynecological
cancers (e.g., breast, uterine). This is because estrogen
stimulates cell proliferation in these tissues. A woman's
level of exposure to estrogen is determined by a variety of
factors, such as age at menarche (when she had her first
period), pregnancy and age at pregnancy, age at menopause,
weight, physical activity, and diet. For example, a woman
with an early age at menarche and late age at menopause
would have had a higher exposure to estrogen than a woman
with a later age at menarche and earlier age at menarche,
assuming dietary and other factors were constant.
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