One or more of the following conditions place a woman at higher risk:
- Over the age of 40
- A personal history of a prior breast cancer
- Evidence of genetic susceptibility to breast cancer
- A family history (mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives, such as cousins) of breast cancer
- A diagnosis that may predispose a woman to breast cancer, such as atypical hyperplasia
- A history of two or more breast biopsies for benign breast disease
- Women who received chest irradiation for conditions such as Hodgkin’s disease at age 30 or younger
However, having one or more risk factors does not mean that you are certain or even likely to develop breast cancer. Over 70% of women who develop breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.