Cases of advanced breast cancer among young women continues to increase steadily, according to research from Seattle Children’s Hospital. The study, based on meta-analysis of data from the National Cancer Institute, found that the number of advanced cases of metastatic breast cancer in women ages 25 to 39 rose by about two percent every year between 1976 and 2009. Two percent doesn't seem like a lot, but it translates to about 1.4 additional cases per 100,000 people over a period of 34 years.
This is the first study to detect a rise in advanced breast cancer cases among young women in the U.S. While the findings need to be confirmed by more research, they are troubling because young women with advanced breast cancer—cancer that has spread to other parts of the body, such as bones and the brain--are considerably less likely to survive than older women. Also, young women generally are not advised to be screened for breast cancer unless they have a family history.
Sourced from: Live Science, Advanced Breast Cancer Increasing in Young Women