This depends on a number of factors. Firstly, is your mother is the only relation with breast cancer or are there more relatives with breast or ovarian cancers?
It also depends on the age that your mother got cancer. If your mother got cancer when she was less than 45 years old and she is the only one in the extended family with cancer then your risk is double compared to someone without a cancer in the family.
The incidence of breast cancer in Singapore is currently 1 in 14 women. If your mother got cancer when she was above 45 years of age and no other family members are affected, your risk will be lower.
If more than 2 immediate family members have breast cancer and mother got cancer at age less than 45 years of age, then the worry is if you carry the abnormal cancer gene, the BRCA genes. Someone who carries the gene than has a lifetime risk ranging between 40-80 % of getting breast cancer.
Cancer can also be triggerred by lifestyle habits such as smoking and increased alcohol intake.
