| Although many people believe that young | | | | in research studies. The drug Tamoxifen |
| women don't get breast cancer, the fact | | | | is an example of a drug which affects |
| is they can and they do. One in every | | | | post-menopausal women differently than |
| 229 women between the ages of 30 and 39 | | | | pre-menopausal women, so younger women |
| will be diagnosed with breast cancer | | | | who are prescribed this drug as |
| within the next 10 years.The statistics | | | | treatment need to do careful research on |
| that surround younger women and breast | | | | their own to make sure that the benefits |
| cancer are frightening. Although only | | | | outweigh the risks of the drug.An |
| a small percentage of all new breast | | | | additional area of concern for younger |
| cancer cases each year involve women | | | | women who have breast cancer include |
| aged 40 and younger, breast cancer is | | | | issues such as early onset on menopause |
| still the leading cause of death for | | | | and fertility issues. Many young women |
| women between the ages of 15 and 54. | | | | who are diagnosed with breast cancer |
| The number of young women diagnosed each | | | | have not yet begun a family. One of the |
| year with breast cancer is between | | | | side effects of chemotherapy and/or |
| 11-12,000. Close to 1400 of those women | | | | hormonal therapies can be irreversible |
| will die each year. A lot of young | | | | menopause. Tamoxifen is a drug that |
| women and their doctors do not realize | | | | can affect fertility, so again, younger |
| that they too are at risk for this | | | | women will need to research their |
| disease.One of the problems with | | | | choices carefully if they plan to have |
| detection of breast cancer in younger | | | | children or start a family in the |
| women is that a mammogram is not an | | | | future. One of the newer treatments for |
| effective screening tool for women under | | | | women with hormone receptive breast |
| 40. Younger women tend to have dense | | | | cancer has only been shown to be |
| breast tissue and that prevents tumors | | | | effective with post-menopausal women, so |
| or areas of calcifications to be seen in | | | | a treatment option that younger women |
| the film. Because of the lack of | | | | will have to make in the future is if |
| screening tools, younger women are often | | | | they want to take tamoxifen OR shut down |
| diagnosed at a later stage in the | | | | or remove their ovaries to bring on |
| disease than their older counterparts. | | | | early menopause to benefit from a more |
| In addition, young women's cancers are | | | | effective treatment.The final issue that |
| generally more aggressive and have lower | | | | young women with breast cancer face is |
| rates of survival. The survival rate | | | | the isolation they sometimes feel - |
| for 5 years is 83% for younger women - | | | | brought about by being the youngest in |
| lower than the survival rate for | | | | their support group and having to deal |
| post-menopausal women.Another issue that | | | | with different issues than their older |
| impacts younger women who have breast | | | | counterparts. One organization which |
| cancer is that most research is done on | | | | helps provide a network for young breast |
| breast cancer patients who are over the | | | | cancer survivors is the Young Survival |
| age of 40 or post-menopausal. Younger | | | | Coalition.Remember - no woman is too |
| women are an underrepresented population | | | | young to have Breast Cancer. |