Boston (ECN) - A new study has shown that bone density can help predict your breast cancer risk with high accuracy.

In the past, people believed that breast cancer risk factors were things such as age, race, and family history.

Researchers have stated though that strong bones may actually mean you are at an increased risk of breast cancer as well.

The study found that hip bone density measured in an X-ray scan can predict your breast cancer risk.

This is because women with strong bones have high levels of estrogen, linked to risk of breast cancer.

The study was published in the journal Cancer.