Like many cancers, the cause of breast cancer is not entirely known. However, research has helped to pinpoint a few possible causes and risk factors. Cancer is typically caused when cells begin to grow abnormally and divide more rapidly than healthy cells, eventually accumulating as a lump or mass. Certain hormonal, lifestyle and environmental factors may increase the risk of breast cancer, but it’s not clear why some patients with no risk factors develop cancer while others do not. Genetics are also a factor, with between 5 and 10 percent of all breast cancers cases being linked to familial gene mutations. The most common of these genes are BRCA1 and BRCA2, both of which can increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer significantly.
