Age
Advancing years puts us at increased risk of most diseases – and breast cancer is no exception. In fact, age is the biggest risk factor for most women, with more than four in every five cases of breast cancer cases in the UK occurring in women over 50.
As this table shows, breast cancer in women under 40 is rare.
| Risk up to age 25 | 1 in 15,000 |
| Risk up to age 30 | 1 in 1,900 |
| Risk up to age 40 | 1 in 200 |
| Risk up to age 50 | 1 in 50 |
| Risk up to age 60 | 1 in 23 |
| Risk up to age 70 | 1 in 15 |
| Risk up to age 80 | 1 in 11 |
| Risk up to age 85 | 1 in 10 |
| Risk of developing breast cancer at some point during your life | 1 in 9 |
Obviously, you can't stop yourself getting any older but you can be breast aware and attend breast screening appointments. You'll start receiving invites to screening from the age of 50.
