How To Use These Risk Assessment Tools:
If you’re curious about
your risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer, here are some online tools to help you. Most of these are simple questionnaires. None of these require you to enter confidential information, or to sign up for an account. I have tried all of these tools and reviewed them for you. The results from any of these tools should never be considered as a medical diagnosis – please talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about your breast health.
Who Benefits From These Tools?:
These four online risk assessment tools are for women who have
never been diagnosed with breast cancer. If you're worried about
breast symptoms, read up on types of
breast lumps and
benign breast conditions, and be sure to visit your doctor for a clinical breast exam.
1. Siteman Cancer Center:
This quiz was developed by the Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention.
- Breast Cancer Quiz
- 6 groups of easy questions
- Results are given as Low, Medium, or High
- Includes tips to lower your risk
- Positive feedback on things that you currently do which lower your risk
- Very clear and easy to understand
2. Dr Steve Halls Detailed Breast Cancer Risk Calculator:
3. National Cancer Institute’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool:
- NCI Risk Tool
- 7 questions, with links to glossary terms
- Explanation given for each question
- Useful only for women 35 or over
- Useful only if you’ve never had a breast cancer diagnosis
- Results given in percent of chance
- Gives a comparison of your results to women in the U.S. who are in your same age and ethnic group
- Designed for use by health professionals
- Based on the Gail Model
4. Breast Cancer Prevention's Risk Assessment:
- BCP's Risk Tool
- 4 groups of questions
- For women 35 – 84
- Useful only if you’ve never had a breast cancer diagnosis
- Results are wordy, but worth reading
