Why are breast cells so susceptible to becoming cancerous?
The tendency for any cell to develop into cancer involves its basic nature, whether it is the type of cell that divides frequently or not (breast cells versus brain cells for instance). Cells that multiply rapidly are closer to behaving like cancer cells than those that multiply slowly. Also, cells that are exposed to cancer-causing agents are more likely to incur genetic changes and become malignant. Finally, cells that have trouble detecting and repairing damaged DNA are also more likely to become cancerous. The types of cells that fit all three categories have a greater tendency to accumulate all the small mutations and epigenetic factors that are necessary to promote the growth and spread of cancer. In most cases breast cancer takes years to develop and become detectable with today’s imaging technology. During the years between puberty and a woman’s first full-term pregnancy, all three of the above categories are met by maturing breast cells.
