Search Results: why does age matter

she had her first child at age 28 and second at age 31.
i've heard that stress may be a factor and being the wife of a top kabuki actor is probably stressful in addition to being a tv presenter in her early 20s. still i don't understand because she probably took care of herself like eating organic etc. . is it really all up to genetics?

How does age at the birth of a first child affect your breast cancer risk?

Although a first pregnancy may increase the short-term risk of breast cancer, it lowers the long-term risk. Pregnancy’s effects depend on your age when you first give birth.

Women who have their first child at age 35 or younger tend to get an overall protective benefit from pregnancy. Breast cancer risk is slightly increased for about 10 years after a first birth. After that, it drops below the risk of women who don't have children. The younger you are when you have your first child, the sooner you get the risk reduction benefit.

Why does age at first birth matter?

The different effects of age at first childbirth on breast cancer risk may be related to breast cells. During pregnancy, breast cells grow rapidly. If there is any genetic damage in the breast cells, it gets copied as the cells grow. This increased genetic damage in the cells can lead to breast cancer. And, the chance of having such genetic damage goes up with age. This may explain why women who have their first child at a later age have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who have their first child at a younger age.

How does childbearing affect your breast cancer risk?

The more children a woman has given birth to, the lower her risk of breast cancer tends to be. After a first child, each childbirth lowers risk.