Deadly breast cancer is on the rise among young women, new study shows

The rate of life-threatening breast cancer is increasing among women of all ages, with a significant increase in those under 40.

A new study found that cases of metastatic breast cancer – in which breast cancer cells have spread from the local area of ​​the breast to another part of the body – increased by 3% from 2004 to 2021 in patients aged 20 up to 39 years old.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women after skin cancer. About 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Although breast cancer starts in a localized part of the breast tissue, it can spread to other areas of the body, significantly reducing survival rates.

The survival rate among breast cancer patients whose cancer is detected before it has spread is high, between 86% and 89%. However, if the cancer is detected after the cancer cells have migrated, this number drops to 31%.

Researchers and radiologists from the American College of Radiology analyzed breast cancer diagnoses from a 17-year period from 2004 to 2021. The team focused on patients with aggressive breast cancer that had metastasized.

In patients aged 20 to 39, diagnoses increased nearly three percent from 2004 to 2021, compared with an increase of just 1.4% among women in their 70s.

“It is important to understand that these women presented with distant (metastatic or Stage 4) breast cancer at the time of diagnosis,” said Dr. Debra Monticciolo, co-author of the study and former president of the American College of Radiology.

“Women with this diagnosis have a much lower survival rate and are much more difficult to treat.”

While the study found that rates of metastatic breast cancer rose significantly among young women, similar rates were found among middle-aged women.

From 2004 to 2012, cases in patients aged 40 to 74 years increased by 2% per year, and from 2018 to 2021 there was an increase of 2.7% per year.

Monticciolo and her team called the study’s results “alarming.” They noted that because of the pandemic’s effect on diagnosis, their findings likely only partially reflect the deadly picture.

Female patients who are diagnosed before 40 are 39% more likely to die from breast cancer than those diagnosed after 40. In addition to late-stage diagnosis, this younger demographic is more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive forms of breast cancer such as triple negative breast cancer and HER2-positive breast cancer.

Further, mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are more common in young women, and these mutations increase the risk of cancer by up to 84%. Six percent of all breast cancer patients carry BRCA gene mutations; however, in patients under 45, approximately 12% carry the gene.

The findings of this latest study are in stark agreement with the rising trend of cancer rates among young adults.

A study published in JAMA Network Open last year found that rates of cancer diagnosis in the thirties rose almost 20% between 2010 and 2019, with most of the increase occurring in women.

More worryingly, these diagnoses tend to be made at later stages, limiting the success of treatment.

For women at average risk, that is, those without a family history of breast cancer, federal guidelines recommend an annual mammogram beginning at age 40.

However, as this latest study suggests, these guidelines may be insufficient for women who are not fully aware of their risk factors or who mistakenly believe they are too young to develop breast cancer.

It is unclear exactly why there is an increase in newer breast cancer diagnoses.

Dr. Cindy Cen, a breast surgeon at Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success, said there are probably several reasons, including poor lifestyle choices.

“Diet, exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, alcohol intake all factor into breast cancer risk,” Cen, who was not involved in the new research, previously told The Post.

Researchers predict that more than 310,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer in American women and 2,790 cases in men will be diagnosed this year.

About 42,250 women and 530 men are expected to die from the disease this year.

More bad breast news? Recent reports found that men working or living around Ground Zero developed breast cancer at 90 times the national average.