Abstract

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women. The development of breast cancer is
a multi-step process involving multiple cell types, and its prevention remains challenging in the world. Early
diagnosis of breast cancer is one of the best approaches to prevent this disease. Currently, people have more
drug options for the chemoprevention of breast cancer, while biological prevention has been recently developed
to improve patients' quality of life. In this review, we will summarize key studies of pathogenesis, related genes,
risk factors and preventative methods on breast cancer over the past years. Risk factors include prior history of
breast cancer, positive family history, obesity, tall stature, smoking, alcohol consumption, early menarche, late
menopause, sedentary lifestyle, nulliparity and hormone replacement therapy. Factors associated with decreased
risk of breast cancer include multiparity, history of breastfeeding, physical activity, weight loss, and prophylactic
surgical and medical interventions.