Family history is very important for understanding your breast cancer risk. Having a family history of breast, ovarian, prostate or pancreatic cancer is a risk factor that’s linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. This increased risk is likely due to genetic factors but may also come from shared lifestyle factors or other family traits. Family history considers how many relatives had these cancers and their ages at the time of their diagnosis. It also takes into account the type of relationship. For example, a woman with one or more first-degree female relatives with breast cancer, meaning their mother, sister or daughter, has an increased risk of getting the disease. If one of these relatives is diagnosed with breast cancer, her risk is about twice as high as a woman without a family history of the disease. If more than one of these relatives are diagnosed, then the risk is about 2 to 4 times higher. And, the younger the relative was when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the greater the woman’s chance of getting the disease. Male relatives matter too when it comes to breast cancer. Men and women with a close male relative such as a father, brother, or uncle who has been diagnosed with breast cancer at any age may have a higher risk of developing the disease themselves. And it’s not only breast cancer. Pancreatic or prostate cancer can also increase the risk of breast cancer. You may be wondering about the impact of family history beyond it increasing the risk of breast cancer. Genetic factors can come into play when a family has a strong history of the disease. Genetic testing can help you learn if your family history of cancer is due to an inherited gene mutation. Ask your health care provider if genetic testing is an option for you.

There are also special breast cancer screening guidelines for women with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer, so if you fall into that category, talk with your health care provider about a screening plan that’s right for you. The overall take home message is to talk with your health care provider about your family history as it may lead you to steps you can take for your health. You can use the My Family Health History tool on komen.org to help record and organize this information as you talk with your family members. The tool can help you gather important information for both you and your health care provider, empowering you to understand your personal breast cancer risk and take an active role in your health care decisions.

To learn more, you can visit the Risk Factors section on komen.org.