BREAST CANCER
IN YOUNG WOMEN
Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body
grow out of control. When cancer starts in the
breast, it is called breast cancer. Except for skin
cancer, breast cancer is the most common
cancer in American women.
Most breast cancers are found in women who
are 50 and older, but breast cancer also affects
younger women. About 11% of all new cases of
breast cancer in the United States are found in
women younger than 45 years of age. While
breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are
difficult for women of any age, younger women
may find this experience overwhelming.
WHO HAS A HIGHER RISK?
Some young women are at a higher risk for getting
breast cancer at an early age compared with other
women their age. If you are a woman younger than
age 45, you may have a higher risk if—
• � You have close relatives who were diagnosed with
breast or ovarian cancer (particularly at age 45
or younger).
• � You have changes in certain breast cancer genes
(BRCA1 and BRCA2).
• � You are of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage.
• � You were treated with radiation therapy to the
breast or chest in childhood or early adulthood.
• � You have had breast cancer or other breast health
problems such as lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS),
ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), atypical ductal
hyperplasia, or atypical lobular hyperplasia.
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If you think you are at higher risk, talk to your
doctor. Your doctor may refer you to a genetic
counselor, recommend that you get screened
earlier and more frequently, and consider medicines
or surgeries that can lower your risk.
You have an average risk of getting breast cancer at
a young age if the risk factors listed don’t apply to
you. If you are at average risk, it is important for
you to know how your breasts normally look and
feel. Talk to your doctor if you notice any changes
in your breasts. Aside from genetics, little is known
about what causes breast cancer in women younger
than 45 years of age.