risk

Risk of Breast Cancer

The term “risk” is used to refer to a number or percentage that describes how likely a certain event is to occur.
When we talk about factors that can increase or decrease the risk of developing breast cancer, either for the first time or as a recurrence, we often talk about two different types of risk: absolute risk and relative risk.

Absolute risk

Absolute risk is used to describe an individual’s likelihood of developing breast cancer.
It is based on the number of people who will develop breast cancer within a certain time period. Absolute risk also can be stated as a percentage.

When we say that 1 in 8 women in the United States, or 13%, will develop breast cancer over the course of a lifetime, we are talking about absolute risk.

On average, an individual woman has a 1-in-8 chance of developing breast cancer over an 80-year lifespan.

The absolute risk of developing breast cancer during a particular decade of life is lower than 1 in 8. The younger you are, the lower the risk