A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reveals that since the 1970s, rates of advanced breast cancer have increased around 2% per year among women aged 25 to 39. More specifically, rates of diagnosis among women in this demographic were around 1.53 per 100,000 in 1976. In 2009, those rates had increased to 2.9 per 100,000 women, the study found. “People I knew, or friends or friends, were coming out of the woodwork with a breast cancer diagnosis,” says study author Rebecca Johnson, MD, a pediatric cancer specialist at Seattle Children’s Hospital and herself a breast cancer survivor. “It had me wondering whether overall instances in this age group were growing.” So Dr. Johnson combed an array of data out of the National Cancer Institute, and found what she describes as “a significant and accelerating trend in metastatic breast cancer in women under 40.” Metastatic, or advanced breast cancer, is diagnosed when the disease has already spread to other parts of the body—making it much tougher to treat effectively. “The whole number might seem small, but this is a cancer with a very poor prognosis,” she says. While this latest study helps shed light on the troubling trend, more research will be necessary to confirm the findings. And Dr. Johnson and her colleagues aren’t entirely sure how to explain a potential increase in breast cancer rates among relatively young women. One “very, very preliminary hypothesis,” posits that either lifestyle (poor nutrition or a lack of exercise) or some sort of environmental exposure might be at least partly to blame, Dr. Johnson notes. She also speculates that younger women tend to be diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer because “patients or doctors don’t take symptoms as seriously when a woman is younger.” What can you do? The findings aren’t robust enough to yield new recommendations for mammography and other screenings among younger women, Dr. Johnson says. Still, she urges women—no matter their age—to remain vigilant about their own health. “Be aware that there is a risk, even if you’re younger,” she says. “If you notice a lump or something unusual, see a doctor and do it promptly.” More from Prevention: Inside The Mammogram Debate Questions? Comments? Contact Prevention’s News Team. Follow her on Twitter: @katiedrumm Send news tips and positive vibes to: Katie.Drummond@rodale.com
