Breast cancer diagnoses in women under 50 have increased significantly in the past two decades, primarily driven by estrogen-receptor positive tumors. This research highlights the importance of early detection and the need for targeted prevention strategies, especially for younger Black women and those born more recently, who face a higher risk.
Examining rates based on age, race, and tumor characteristics could guide the development of prevention strategies.
Over the past twenty years, there has been a consistent rise in breast cancer diagnoses among women younger than 50, with the rate of increase becoming more pronounced in recent years. This trend has been identified in a study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The majority of this increase is attributed to a higher incidence of estrogen-receptor positive tumors, which are cancerous growths that are fueled by estrogen.
While overall trends show increases, however, some decreases have occurred in specific tumor types and among specific groups of women. Such changes in disease rates in young women observed over time — analyzed by age, race, tumor type, tumor stage, and other characteristics — may offer clues to possible prevention strategies.
The study was recently published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
“For most women, regular breast cancer screening does not begin until at least age 40, so younger women diagnosed with breast cancer tend to have later-stage tumors, when the disease is more advanced and more difficult to treat,” said senior author Adetunji T. Toriola, MD, PhD, a professor of surgery and co-leader of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. “This research offers a way to begin identifying the factors driving these increasing rates, with the goal of finding ways to slow or reverse them. It also could help identify young women who are at high risk of developing early-onset breast cancer, so that we can design interventions to evaluate in clinical trials to see if we can lower that risk.”
Study Findings and Trends
