Background: When dealing with breast cancer, early detection is closely associated with determining andclosely monitoring high risk groups. The aim of this study was to determine the preventable risk factors thatare specific for our country, and to understand which risk factors were most predominant. Materials and Methods: The study was planned as a case-control design. Women diagnosed with breast cancer who visitedthe Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Radiation Oncology outpatient clinics of the Izmir Dokuz EylulUniversity (DEU) School of Medicine were accepted as the case group. Then a control group matched for agewas established among females who visited the outpatient clinics on the same days. A questionnaire preparedby the researchers was implemented using a face-to-face interview technique. The Mann-Whitney U test wasused in the comparisons of the group averages, and the Pearson chi-square test in the comparisons betweengroups. In order to determine the dominant risk factors, binary logistical regression test was implemented. Results: A total of 138 patients, 69 cases and 69 controls, were included in the study. A significant difference canbe detected between the groups in terms of BMI, smoking, breast cancer prevalence among first degree familymembers, presence of breast cancer among distant family members, existence of other types of cancers amongfamily members and the age of onset of menopause (p<0.05). Logistical regression analysis revealed that thepresence of breast cancer among first degree relatives increased the risk of developing breast cancer 5.7 times. Conclusions: Although some results of this study are compatible with findings in the literature, some are not. Inorder to determine unique risk factors, there is a clear need for large-scale studies.
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