en Epidemiology Research (Original) <strong>Introduction:</strong> The present study was aimed at describing the epidemiological characteristics of female breast cancer and explore its main risk factors in Sulaymaniyah city, the Kurdistan region of Iraq.<br> <strong>Material and Methods:</strong> The present case-control study was conducted in Sulaymaniyah, the Kurdistan region of Iraq from 2012-2014 in two hospitals. The study sample consisted of 150 women with breast cancer and 150 healthy women. Required data including sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, medical history, and reproductive factors were collected using a questionnaire through face-to-face interviews.<br> <strong>Results:</strong> The mean age of the cases and controls was 47.89&plusmn;10.98 and 47.38&plusmn;10.87 years respectively. Low level of education was a risk factor for breast cancer, such that breast cancer was significantly less prevalent among women with university education than those with lower education (P=0.001). The likelihood of developing breast cancer in women with a positive family history of cancer was significantly higher (P=0.003). Also, women with rural residency, unemployment, low income, early age of menopause, multigravida (+3), history of abortion, duration of feeding the first and second babies, and obesity were at a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer (P<0.05).<br> <strong>Conclusion:</strong> The Kurdish women in Iraq, develop breast cancer at age range of 40-50 years. Women with low level of education, a positive family history of cancer, rural residency, unemployment, low income, multigravida (+3), history of abortion, and obesity need to be taken into special consideration in order to diagnose breast cancer early and adopt appropriate interventions. Breast Cancer, Menopause, Multigravida 13 21 http://tbsrj.mazums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-3486-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Jwan Jalal Rasheed shwana Shwana 100319475328460029132 100319475328460029132 No Research Department, General Directorate of Health, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Zahira Metwally Gad 100319475328460029133 100319475328460029133 No Epidemiology Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt. Samar Samy Abd Elhafeez 100319475328460029134 100319475328460029134 No Epidemiology Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Egypt. Khalid Anwar Hama Ghareeb AWA198011@GMAIL.COM 100319475328460029135 100319475328460029135 Yes Research Department, General Directorate of Health, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Shuann Shwana 100319475328460029136 100319475328460029136 No Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant, United Kingdom. Blind Goran Mustafa Al Talabani 100319475328460029137 100319475328460029137 No Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Dlovan Ali Taha 100319475328460029138 100319475328460029138 No Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Mohammed Ibrahim Mohialdeen Gubari 100319475328460029139 100319475328460029139 No Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq. Fattah Hama Rahim Fattah 100319475328460029140 100319475328460029140 No College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq Safeen Rasul Ali 100319475328460029141 100319475328460029141 No General Directorate of Health, Head of the Planning Department, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq Diya Dlshad Ali 100319475328460029142 100319475328460029142 No Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region-Iraq.