A new study has found that a surprising number of breast cancer cases are happening in women under the age of 50.
In fact, nearly one out of every four breast cancers in the past 11 years was diagnosed in women between the ages of 18 and 49.
These results come from an analysis of patient records at seven outpatient centers in the New York area. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care in Rochester, New York, led the research. She said this study shows that many women under 40 are getting breast cancer even though there are no official screening guidelines for this age group.
She believes doctors need to assess younger women’s risk earlier to see if they should begin screening sooner.
For women at average risk, current U.S. guidelines say that mammograms should start at age 40 or 45, depending on the organization.
Women who are considered high risk—such as those with a family history or certain gene mutations—may be told to start screening around age 30. But there are still no clear rules for women under 30, even though some of them are clearly at risk.
To better understand how often breast cancer happens in younger women, Dr. Destounis and her team reviewed cases from 2014 to 2024. They looked at data from seven outpatient clinics across a 200-mile stretch of western New York. They focused on women aged 18 to 49 and studied how the cancer was found, what type it was, and how serious it appeared.
The team found 1,799 cases of breast cancer in 1,290 women in that age group. The average age at diagnosis was about 42. Most of the cancers (over 80%) were invasive, meaning they had the potential to spread beyond the breast. Some of the tumors were aggressive types, such as triple-negative breast cancer, which is harder to treat.
Interestingly, even though women under 50 made up only about 21% to 25% of those who got screened, they still accounted for about 25% of all breast cancers found each year.
This shows that younger women carry a large share of the breast cancer burden and that their tumors tend to be more dangerous. This steady number over time is a warning sign that the problem is not going away.
Dr. Destounis pointed out that just because a woman is young doesn’t mean she is low risk. In fact, some groups—such as women with a family history of cancer, certain genetic conditions, or specific ethnic backgrounds—may be at higher risk and should consider early screening.
The results of this study support the idea that age alone isn’t a good enough reason to delay breast cancer screening. Risk factors like family history, genetics, and even personal observations should play a bigger role in deciding when screening starts. Catching breast cancer early can lead to better treatment and save lives.
In conclusion, this research shows that breast cancer in younger women is more common and more aggressive than many people think. Doctors, patients, and health organizations should consider revising guidelines to reflect this reality. Doing so could help more women get diagnosed earlier, when treatment is most effective.
If you care about breast cancer, please read studies about a major cause of deadly breast cancer, and this daily vitamin is critical to cancer prevention.
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