How Do You Calculate Breast Cancer Risk Factors?
A tool has been invented to help women calculate their personal breast cancer risk. The tool is called the “Gail Model,” named for Dr. Mitchell Gail. The model takes a woman’s history and uses this to estimate the risk of breast cancer. By gathering the information used for the Gail Model tool and talking with your doctor, you can gain a better understanding of your personal breast cancer risk factors. Gather your medical records and highlight your history of any lobular carcinoma or ductal carcinoma. These carcinomas increase the risk factors for breast cancer while making it hard to calculate your risk of breast cancer without discussing your individual case with a physician. Factor your age into the equation. As women grow older, the risk of breast cancer increases. The Gail Model for determining breast cancer risk does not start to accurately calculate your risk until after age 35. While this in no way means women (or men) under the age of 35 will not get breast cancer, the risk is
