Reproductive, Lifestyle, and Genetic Risk Factors in Breast Cancer Among Iranian Women- A Cross-sectional Study During the Breast Cancer Screening in a Community in Iran

Aim: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. The present study is aimed to investigate the risk factors of this disease among the Iranian women of Arak city. Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women. Objective: To study the reproductive, lifestyle, and genetic risk factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Arak city. The sampling was conducted in a clustering method in a way that 4 health centers (surveying cancer in the country; October 2018 to March 2019) were investigated. The women willing to fill up the breast cancer risk factors were entered into the research. 1000 women (above 18) were included. After filling the questionnaires, the data were analyzed by SPSS Ver. 21 using descriptive statistics such as percentage and mean values. Results: 4% of the participants (40) had a history of breast cancer among their first-degree relatives. Only 1.9% (19) of the women reported eating fast-food twice a day. 1.7% (16) of the studied women drank alcohol in the last month. 70.3% of the women (691) had children with an average age at first birth of 22.32±4.87. 1.3% (13) of the participants were under hormone-therapy during their menopause, with an average duration of 4±6.87 years. Conclusion: It seems that the risk factors of breast cancer are not low among Iranian women. Screening tests such as self-examination of the breasts and periodic examinations by the physicians or midwives as well as the mammography protocols are essential