According to the National Cancer Institute, 61 was the median age for a breast cancer diagnosis from 2002 to 2006. However, younger women do get breast cancer. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that for 2009 the U.S. will have 18,640 new cases of invasive breast cancer. The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) notes that there are more than 250,000 women living in the U.S. who were 40 years old or younger when they were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Significance
The statistics that are gathered and analyzed about breast cancer in young women can be influential. A young woman might use the statistics to make a health-related decision, an organization could use the statistics to make recommendations, and the statistics can be a factor in public health policy.
Statistics that focus on breast cancer in young women allow researchers, advocacy groups, public health officials and individuals to monitor cancer rates and trends. While the average woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing invasive breast cancer in her lifetime, she only has a 1 in 1,760 chance of developing the disease in her 20s. In her 30s, her chances increase to 1 in 229. While incidence rates have been declining since 1999 for women over 50, the incidence rates for younger women have remained stable since 1986.
Sources
The National Program of Cancer Registries, the National Center for Health Statistics, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), and the U.S. Census Bureau are commonly cited data sources for cancer statistics. For example, the YSC cites SEER data with the statistic that "breast cancer accounts for 26% of all cancer in females 15-39 years of age and 39% of all cancer in 35-39 year olds."
Time Frame
When evaluating long-term survival rates, it is important to remember that treatment options for breast cancer continue to improve. Someone who was diagnosed many years ago was not able to take advantage of the types of treatments that are now available. In 2009 the five-year relative survival rate or women diagnosed before the age of 40 was 83 percent. This rate was 90 percent for women age 40 or older at the time of diagnosis.
Theories/Speculation
There are several theories as to why younger women have lower breast cancer survival rates than older women. Younger women are often diagnosed at later stages. Younger women's breasts are typically denser than older women's breasts, making mammography less effective. Younger women also have a tendency to develop more aggressive types of breast cancer.
Misconceptions
Recent decades have seen an overall drop in breast cancer death rates. This can lead to the misconception that breast cancer is no longer a fatal disease. In fact, the ACS estimates that 2,820 women under the age of 45 will die from breast cancer in the U.S. in 2009. According to the YSC, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 15 to 54.
