Of women who develop breast cancer, most do not have a family history of the disease. In fact, only 5 to 10 percent of cases of breast cancer are considered to be hereditary.

Sometimes there is a genetic link. Specifically, some people carry a "faulty" BRCA1, BRCA2, and/or TP53 gene. People who carry one or more of the "faulty" genes are at an increased risk of developing breast cancer.

Your father is just as likely to pass the "faulty" gene on to you as your mother. Breast cancer is not a "female" problem.

Having a "faulty" gene is not a death sentence. It simply means you are at an increased risk.

Not having a "faulty" gene does not mean you will never develop breast cancer. Genes can mutate and become cancerous.

My mother died of breast cancer nearly thirteen years ago. She was 45.

Because of that fact, my risk factor for developing breast cancer sometime in my lifetime is slightly higher than the national average. In fact, my physician says it's 5% higher. If you think about that, it means that even if no one in your family has ever had breast cancer, you are still only slightly less likely to develop the disease than I am. So, are you slightly less vigilant? Or much less vigilant?

We're standing up to cancer by educating ourselves, doing things to lower our risk, and by going to the doctor for regular screenings.

Are you standing up to cancer?