The detection of breast cancer under the age of 50 is raising concern with the new development of early puberty. Rates of detection amongst women between the ages of 18-45 are becoming more common with a 15% increase within the last two decades. Recent findings have shown that more people in the U.S. are getting their periods earlier, which leads to having children later. Studies show from 2000-2005, on average, young girls got their first period under the age of 12. Compared to 50 years ago, breast cancer has only increased the chance of girls getting their period earlier by 15.5% to 1.4%.
Dr. Alexandra Thomas, a medical oncologist at Duke Health, brings up a point that “Women are being exposed to more estrogen over their lifespan.” It is suspected that this increased exposure is leading to earlier periods and breast cancer in women.
Menstruation releases estrogen and progesterone, both of which can play a role in putting women at risk for hormone-sensitive subtypes of breast cancers. Most breast cancers are sensitive to particular hormones 75% of the time. Breast Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women, and now, young women are expected to experience more aggressive forms of the disease.
Focusing on the racial disparity within breast cancer awareness, black women, in particular, are twice as likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer compared to white women between the ages of 20-44. Black women from the ages of 20-39 are more likely to develop breast cancer of any subtype compared to younger women in other ethnic groups. This could be linked to genetic risk factors as well. There is an inherited mutation in BRCA1 and BRCA2 that increases breast cancer risk. Among all women, about 6% carry these mutations in their DNA. With patients under the age of 40, the number gets closer to 12%.
In the U.S., data shows that 1 in 196 women are diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Between the ages of 15-39 is when most symptoms arise. Symptoms include breast or armpit lumps, breast pain, skin rash, inverted nipples, nipple discharge and swollen lymph nodes. Most young women do not know where to start when inspecting for breast cancer or when to ask for help from a healthcare provider.
Looking into family medical history can play a big role in detecting breast cancer early on. People are at higher risk if family members have had breast cancer before the age of 50, cancer in both breasts, male breast cancer or ovarian cancer.
When getting a diagnosis, age does not change the way healthcare providers go about the examination. First, the healthcare provider will perform a breast exam, and then follow up with questions regarding the patient’s symptoms. Two types of screenings can be recommended for young women: breast MRIs or a mammogram. Normally, people younger than 40 are not recommended mammogram screenings, but if there is a known history of breast cancer within their family, the screenings can be provided earlier.
In 2024, raising awareness is more important than ever, with an estimated 310,720 women and 2,800 men being diagnosed with invasive breast cancer this year alone. There is hope in continuing the conversation about this cancer in particular. When breast cancer is caught early on in a person’s life, the 5-year survival rate is estimated to be 99%. Modern-day early detection and treatment methods have helped increase breast cancer survival rates in recent years. Currently, there are over 4 million breast cancer survivors in the United States. For more information please visit nationalbreastcancer.org.