Q. How do I know if I’m at high risk for developing breast cancer?

A. Anyone with an immediate family member who was diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of menopause or with multiple relatives suffering from the disease is at high risk; you should start getting mammograms at age 30 or younger, depending on your case. If you’re not at high risk, begin at 40. Calculate your own chances by using the Breast Cancer Prevention tool, a short questionnaire at www.cancer.gov/bcrisktool.

Q. Do birth-control pills increase my risk?

A. Any links between the Pill and breast cancer appear to be weak. While estrogen exposure can potentially increase your risk, today’s birth-control pills contain far less of the hormone than earlier versions. However, women who take oral contraceptives in their mid- to late 40s to help mitigate perimenopausal symptoms have not been studied, so if you fall into that group, you should weigh the risks and the benefits of the Pill with your doctor, says surgeon Susan Love.

Q. Should I do breast self-exams?

A. They certainly can’t hurt, but experts disagree over the long-term merits of self-exams. Until five years ago, the American Cancer Society recommended doing one monthly. However, research has found that these exams don’t actually decrease the cancer death rate, so they have been deemed optional. Nonetheless, it’s good to familiarize yourself with your breasts so that you know which lumps are normal and which are new and different.

Q. How much do diet and exercise affect my chance of getting breast cancer?

A. A nutrient-rich diet and an aerobic-exercise regimen won’t keep breast cancer totally at bay, but studies have shown that both can help reduce the risk of breast cancer and its chance of recurrence in higher-risk women by a small degree, says Love. Conversely, some data have shown an association between alcohol consumption of one drink or more a day and an increased breast cancer risk in all women, not just those already at high risk.