Despite the prevailing opinion that young women don't get breast cancer, the reality is that they can and they do. In fact, breast cancer accounts for 26% of all cancer in females 15-39 years of age and 39% of all cancer in 35-39 year olds¹. Following are some startling facts about breast cancer in young women:

• Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in young women ages 15-54².
• In 2008, the American Cancer Society projects 182,460 new cases of breast cancer in females; it is estimated that 10,000 of these women will be under 40 years of age, and nearly 23,000 will be under 45 years of age³.
• There are more than 250,000 women living in the United States today who were age 40 or under when they were diagnosed with breast cancer⁴.
• Young women's cancers are generally more aggressive and result in lower survival rates.
• Increasingly, evidence suggests that breast cancer before age 40 is biologically different from the majority of breast cancer that occurs in older women. Women younger than 25 may have a third type of biologically distinct breast cancer.
• There is no effective breast cancer screening tool for women 40 and under.
• Young women with breast cancer struggle with many issues that their post-menopausal counterparts don't face, including: the possibility of early menopause, fertility, pregnancy after diagnosis, body image, financial stability, generally more advanced cancers at diagnosis, and higher mortality rates.
• As the incidence of young women with breast cancer is much lower than in older women, young women are an underrepresented population in many research studies.

The need for more attention and studies on this underserved population is vital. Young Survival Coalition (YSC)  is the premier international organization dedicated to the critical issues unique to young women and breast cancer. YSC works with survivors, caregivers and the medical, research, advocacy and legislative communities to increase the quality and quantity of life for women diagnosed with breast cancer ages 40 and under. 

¹ U.S. SEER 1990-1999 and 2000-2004.

² National Cancer Institute 2005 Fact Book.

³ American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2008.

⁴ Figure based on the 2000 U.S. Census data.