More women under 50 being diagnosed with breast cancer

In 2010, 10,068 women under the age of 50 in the UK were told that they had the disease – 2,300 more than the number who were diagnosed in 1995, Cancer Research UK said.

The charity said that one in five breast cancer cases are now among women under 50.

The reason behind the increase remains unclear but experts from the charity say a rise in alcohol intake, the use of the contraceptive pill and women having fewer children and in later life could be to blame.

Routine screening for breast cancer is currently offered to women aged 50 to 70 but recent changes to the programme will see those in their late forties also invited for tests.

Nearly 800 women aged under 50 were diagnosed in Yorkshire among 4,000 from the region given the news they had the condition in 2010.

Despite the increase in diagnosis among younger women, figures show numbers in the age group dying from breast cancer has fallen significantly by 40 per cent since the early 1990s.

More than eight in 10 younger women now survive their disease for at least five years.

Nicki Embleton, Cancer Research UK spokesman for Yorkshire, who was herself diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 when she was 39, said: “Breast cancer is more common in older women but these figures show that younger women are also at risk of developing the disease.

“The number of cases in women under 50 diagnosed with breast cancer is increasing slowly, but thanks to research, awareness and improved care more women are surviving than ever before.”

Sara Hiom, the charity’s director of health information, said: “Women of all ages who notice anything different about their breasts, including changes in size, shape or feel, a lump or thickening, nipple discharge or rash, dimpling, puckering or redness of the skin, should see their GP straight away, even if they have attended breast cancer screening.

“It’s more likely not to be cancer but if it is, detecting it early gives the best chance of successful treatment.”

Chris Askew, chief executive of the charity Breakthrough Breast Cancer, added: “These figures show that breast cancer still affects more and more families every year in the UK and the need for research into the disease remains vital.

“Although breast cancer is more common in older women, it’s worrying to see an increase in the number of younger women diagnosed with the disease.

“More women than ever are surviving which is great news. However, more women are getting breast cancer and we must 
invest in vital research for new treatments and disease prevention.”