A Professor of Surgery and Surgical Oncologist at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, Charles Adisa, has said that older women who are overweight or obese are at risk of contracting breast cancer.

Adisa, in an interview with our correspondent, said although there was no specific cause of breast cancer, several risk factors could conspire to increase the chances of developing breast cancer for anybody.

With or without such risk factors, he argued, people might or might not be afflicted with the disease.

“The risk factors can be classified as modifiable and non-modifiable. While patients are capable of controlling the modifiable risk factors, they cannot control over the non-modifiable risk factors.

“Modifiable risk factors include a patient’s inability to be physically active. Women who are not physically active have a higher risk of contracting breast cancer. Older women who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of contracting breast cancer than those at a normal weight,” Adisa said.

The Surgical Oncologist added that the consumption of some forms of hormone replacement therapy during menopause could raise the risk for breast cancer when taken for more than five years.

“Certain oral contraceptives have been found to raise the risk for breast cancer. Having your first pregnancy after the age of 30, not breastfeeding and not having a full-term pregnancy can increase breast cancer risk.

“For the non-modifiable risk factors, women have 10 times a higher risk of contracting breast cancer than men. Breast cancer can also occur in men, but it is not common. The risk for breast cancer increases with age. Most cases are diagnosed after the age of 50,” he added.