"Many mistakenly believe they would be free of breast cancer if they are in good shape and health and eat healthy food. Risk factors raise your chance of getting a disease. However, there are various risk factors that may contribute to the development of breast cancer,"says Deshpande. Some of the most significant risk factors for developing breast cancer, according to Deshpande are.

Gender: Approximately half of all women who develop breast cancer have no identifiable risk factor other than being female and aging. This means it is very important for every woman to be aware of this disease and to try to ensure that they find it early.

Age: Besides being female, the greatest risk factor for breast cancer is age. Older women are much more likely to get breast cancer. Breast cancer is much less frequent among younger women, the earliest diagnosis usually being made at around 25 years.

No childbirth or having first child after age 30- Women who have had no children or who had their first child after age 30 have a slightly higher breast cancer risk. Having multiple pregnancies and becoming pregnant at an early age reduces breast cancer risk

Stress: Women who work till late, those who do night shifts, early menarche - women who have started their period before 12 years of age, late menopause - women who go through menopause after age 55, radiation to the chest area, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, not breast feeding your infant.

Genetics: There are inherited genetic alterations that increase the risk of breast cancer. Alterations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are found in about 5% to 10% of breast cancer cases. Women with alterations in these genes have up to an 85% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime.