Breast Cancer Awareness

About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. While the disease is most often diagnosed in women over the age of 50, more young women are confronting breast cancer, at a time when they may be focused on their careers, relationships, or family building.

When diagnosed with breast cancer, these women suddenly face treatment decisions with lasting medical, financial, and emotional consequences. Surgeons are seeing this shift firsthand, and research is underway to better understand why diagnoses are rising among younger women. 

For the nearly 4 million women living with a personal history of breast cancer in the United States, receiving support during and after treatment remains a critical challenge. Younger patients often struggle to find resources tailored to their needs, from fertility concerns to navigating life after treatment.

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The National Cancer Database (NCDB) is a clinical oncology database jointly operated by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC) and the American Cancer Society. The NCDB collects data on approximately 82% of all newly diagnosed breast cancers in the U.S.

Researchers with the NCDB have noted some significant breast cancer trends in recent years:

• More young women are getting breast cancer: While the overall number of women under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer is still small compared to older populations, younger women are increasingly diagnosed with breast cancer. From 2011 to 2021, there was a 62% increase in women under the age of 40 diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.
• Breast cancer has high survival rates: Breast cancer, especially when diagnosed at an early-stage, has one of the highest survival rates of all major cancers. Women diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer have about a 93% 5-year survival rate. Survival rates decrease with more advanced stages of breast cancer but remain high compared to some other cancers.
• Women have diverse treatment options: From 2018 to 2021, approximately 64% of patients with breast cancer underwent a lumpectomy and 34% underwent a mastectomy (removal of the entire breast). Use of  hormone therapy, which slows or stops the growth of certain types of breast cancers, before surgery has more than doubled in recent years.

The reasons for the rise in breast cancer and other cancers in younger populations are not fully understood. While breast cancer can't always be prevented, women can reduce their risk of developing advanced breast cancer and dying from breast cancer by getting screened regularly with mammograms. Screening for breast cancer helps detect breast cancer at earlier stages when outcomes are better and it is easier to treat.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now advises that women at average risk of developing breast cancer begin screening with a mammogram every two years starting at age 40, which is 10 years earlier than previously recommended. Women with a family history of the disease or other risk factors should consider getting screened earlier and with additional techniques such as an ultrasound or breast MRI.

Additionally, women of all ages can practice "breast awareness," watching for early signs and symptoms of breast cancer, which include:

• Any lumps, especially those that do not go away with a menstrual cycle and are firm
• Nipple discharge
• Changes to the skin around the nipple or breast

Women should promptly report any concerning breast changes to their primary care physician or OB/GYN. The American Cancer Society also has resources on ways to modify lifestyle factors to lower the risk of developing breast cancer.

Receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer or being told you are at high risk of the disease is a life-changing moment that can spur many complex emotions. Deciding between treatment options can be equally overwhelming and frustrating without the proper care and guidance.

One good marker to guide quality care is looking for a center accredited by the NAPBC, which has new guidelines that help accredited centers put patients and their care journey front and center of the treatment process, from diagnosis through survivorship. Find an NAPBC-accredited breast center today.

• Breast Cancer Information & Overview, American Cancer Society
• American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024-2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2024
• Información sobre cáncer en español, American Cancer Society