REALITY CHECK

Diagnosing breast cancer in younger women (under 40 years old) is more difficult because their breast tissue is generally denser than the breast tissue in older women, and routine screening is not recommended. 1

Breast cancer in younger women may be more aggressive and less likely to respond to treatment. 1

Each year, approximately 70,000 men and women aged 15 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer in the US. 2 Breast cancer is also the most common cancer for women in this age group. 3

In 2023, the American Cancer Society projects 287,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the US, along with 55,720 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. About 43,700 women will die from breast cancer. 4

Every year, more than 1,000 women under age 40 die from breast cancer. 5

Nearly 80% of young women diagnosed with breast cancer find their breast abnormality themselves. 5

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. It occurs once in every 3,000 pregnancies. 6

An estimated 30% or more of all breast cancer in young women is diagnosed in the few years after a woman has had a baby. 7

Compared to older women, young women generally face more aggressive cancers and lower survival rates. 8 9 Mounting evidence suggests that breast cancer before age 40 differs biologically from the cancer faced by older women. 10

The incidence of metastatic breast cancer at the time of initial diagnosis is rising in women under the age of 40. 11

We remain underrepresented in many research studies. This is because breast cancer occurs at a much lower rate among young adults than in our older counterparts. 10

African American women under age 35 have rates of breast cancer two times higher than Caucasian women under age 35. 12

African Americans under age 35 die from breast cancer three times as often as Caucasian women of the same age. 12

Researchers believe that access to healthcare and the quality of healthcare available may explain these disparities. 12

Research also shows that young African Americans are more likely to get aggressive forms of breast cancer than anyone else. 12

 

STATISTICS & FACT SOURCES

  1.  Cleveland Clinic. Available HERE.

  2. National Cancer Institute. A Snapshot of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancers. Available HERE.

  3. Archie Bleyer et al., "The distinctive biology of cancer in adolescents and young adults," Nature Reviews Cancer 8, no. 4 (2008): 288-298. Available HERE. Available HERE.

  4. American Cancer Society. Key Statistics for Breast Cancer 2023. Available HERE.

  5. Ruddy, K. et al. “Presentation of breast cancer in young women,” Journal of Clinical Oncology 27:15S (2009). Available HERE.

  6. “Breast Cancer during Pregnancy,” American Cancer Society, accessed June 10, 2016. Available HERE. 

  7. Eryn B. Callihan, et al., “Postpartum diagnosis demonstrates a high risk for metastasis and merits an expanded definition of pregnancy-associated breast cancer,” Breast Cancer Res. Treat. 138 (2013). Available HERE.

  8. Carey K. Anders et al., "Breast Carcinomas Arising at a Young Age: Unique Biology or a Surrogate for Aggressive Intrinsic Subtypes" Journal of Clinical Oncology 29, no. 1 (2011): e18-e20. Available HERE.

  9. Carey K. Anders et al., "Young Age at Diagnosis Correlates With Worse Prognosis and Defines a Subset of Breast Cancers With Shared Patterns of Gene Expression," Journal of Clinical Oncology 26, no. 10 (2008): 3324-3330. Available HERE.

  10. Ann H. Partridge et al., “Breast Cancer in Younger Women,” Diseases of the Breast (4th ed.,), In J. Harris (Ed.) (2010): 1073-1083. Available HERE.

  11. Rebecca H. Johnson, et al. “Incidence of breast cancer with distant involvement among women in the United States, 1976 to 2009.” JAMA. 2013; 309(8):800-805. Available HERE. 

  12. Lisa A. Carey. et al., “Race, Breast Cancer Subtypes, and Survival in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study,” Journal of the American Medical Association 295, no. 21 (2006): 2492-2502. Available HERE.