Breast Cancer Affects Younger Adults Too
While breast cancer in young adults remains most common in women between the ages of 50 and 70, risk exists at any age. Traditionally considered a post-menopausal disease, breast cancer in young adults is increasingly being diagnosed in younger women. According to Liv Hospital Ulus Breast Cancer Surgeon Prof. Dr. Ertugrul Gazioglu, the average age of breast cancer patients has dropped over the past two decades, and rates among younger women, especially in countries like Turkey, have risen due to social, cultural, and economic factors.
In Turkey, one in every twelve women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in young adults during her lifetime.
Global Incidence and Mortality
Breast cancer in young adults is the most common cancer among women worldwide and remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Over the past 50 years, its global incidence has doubled. While breast cancer once affected one in 20 women in developed countries, today the rate is one in eight—and it continues to rise, including in Turkey, where one in twelve women will be diagnosed in her lifetime.
Notably, the age of diagnosis is decreasing. In the United States and Europe, only about 7–8% of breast cancer in young adults cases occur in women under 40. In Turkey, that rate rises to 20%, and nearly half of all breast cancer patients are under 50 years old.
Mean age of breast cancer incidence is decreasing
In the United States and Europe, only about 7“8% of breast cancer cases occur in women under 40. In contrast, 20% of breast cancer cases in Turkey are diagnosed in women age 40 or younger. Nearly half of all breast cancer patients in Turkey are under the age of 50, reflecting a notable shift toward younger age groups.
Why did breast cancer become prevalent under the age of 50?
- Increased consumption of processed and industrial foods
- Unregulated use of hormones, medications, or similar products
- High levels of work-related stress among young women
- Delaying childbirth, not giving birth, or not breastfeeding
Annual mammography after the age of 40
The World Health Organization recommends annual mammography screening for all healthy women starting at age 40, even if they have no symptoms. Young women with a family history of breast cancer in young adults should have a clinical breast exam every three years and, if needed, breast ultrasonography starting at puberty.
Factors Increasing Breast Cancer Risk
- Being female
- 50-70 years of age and post-menopausal period
- Breast cancer history in the family
- (Closer relatives and higher number of breast cancer cases leads to higher risk)
- Previous breast cancer presence
- Early menstruation onset, late menopause
- Not giving birth
- Giving first birth after the age of 30
- Giving birth but not breastfeeding the infant
- Long-term hormone therapy
- Stressful environment of modern city life
- Overweight: Gaining weight especially after menopause and excess consumption of food rich in saturated fats
- Lack of physical activity
* Liv Hospital Editorial Board has contributed to the publication of this content .
* Contents of this page is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. The content of this page does not include information on medicinal health care at Liv Hospital .