Does the Age that I Started Menopause Affect My Risk for Breast Cancer?

— -- Question: Does the age that I started menopause affect my risk for breast cancer?

Answer:The risk for breast cancer is related to the number of hormone cycles that the breast is exposed to. With every hormone cycle there is cell division, cell proliferation, and there's the chance that the DNA will not be copied properly and that eventually a cancer will occur. The longer someone continues to have periods, the later menopause occurs the greater the chance that that will occur and so early onset of periods and the late cessation of periods, late menopause, are both increased risks for breast cancer. Fortunately they're not very big increased risks, but they are an increased risk.

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