When Breast Cancer Strikes the Young: Understanding its Incidence, Etiologies, Challenges, and Implications

Abstract

In 2021, breast cancer officially overtook lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer globally, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases. The American Cancer Society estimates that 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 49,290 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will be diagnosed in the United States in 2021, and an estimated 43,600 women will die of breast cancer. Women under the age of forty represent 6-7% of the diagnosed breast cancer cases. A breast cancer diagnosis is devastating in young adults who are often ill-prepared to navigate the challenges of surgery, endocrine therapy, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, and long-term surveillance. In this article, this small but highly vulnerable population is highlighted in hopes of promoting improved education among health care providers. An enhanced patient-provider discussion can assist younger patients when faced with this life-changing diagnosis.