Health experts are seeing an increase in breast cancer for women under 40

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — October is breast cancer awareness month, and a new study challenges the long-held belief that breast cancer only affects older women.

Currently, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women aged 20 to 49 in the U.S.

Breast cancer in younger women has steadily increased by 0.7% since the year 2000, making it the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the age group of 20-39. The question is, why?

“Environmental toxins, chemicals that are in routine products like shampoos, soaps, and things like that, that are endocrine-disrupting, and of course, genetics,” said oncologist at the John B. Amos Cancer Center, Dr. Srividya Maharaj.

The CDC recommends mammograms for women aged 40 to 74. However, Darla Spencer was diagnosed at the age of 34. She said knowing your family history is crucial.

“Since I’ve had it, my mother and my sister were diagnosed,” Spencer said. “They both are fine now, thankfully, but we don’t know where it came from, more or less.”

However, the methods for detecting breast cancer have been getting easier. 

“We are seeing that now we have more options in diseases that were once felt to be extremely aggressive,” Dr. Maharaj said. “There are liquid biopsies coming up on the horizon that may be able to detect cancer, recurrence of cancer, in patients that are in their survivorship period.”

Breast cancer survivor Darla Spencer emphasized that treatment alone won’t make the process easier, but having a support system eases the burden.

“I feel very bad for people that don’t have any kind of support system,” Spencer said. “Because you need that, when you don’t want to do [it], they’re there to [say], ‘go ahead and do it. You can do it.'”

Spencer added that being diagnosed with this disease at a young age doesn’t mean your life is over.

“It’s not a death sentence in and of itself,” Spencer said. “Do what the doctors say to do. You might lose your hair. It’s okay. Put on a wig, put on a scarf, and keep on going.”

Piedmont Columbus Regional stresses the importance of monthly self-breast exams.