Bigger breasts raise breast cancer risk

Women with large breasts have an increased risk of developing breast cancer before menopause. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston also found that a woman with small breasts is not safe either. Screening should be done for all women, and not only for women with larger breasts. They investigated the relationship between breast size and breast cancer by analysing 89,268 women between the ages of 29 and 47 years. All women reported their bra cup size at the age of 20. Then the participants were followed over time to see if they developed breast cancer. Women with a BMI below 25 kg/ m² who had a bra cup size of D or larger had an 80 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer than those with the cup size of A or smaller. However, there was no link between bra cup size and breast cancer risk among overweight or obese women. Cup size is most accurate for measuring breast size in thinner women. Increased risk with larger breasts most likely occurs for all women, but bra size is a less accurate gauge of breast size among heavier women. It is hypothesized that bigger breasts mean more breast cells, and consequently a higher risk for a potential mutation or malignant change.