According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), American women are at the greatest risk of having the disease. The current incidence rate of the disease according ACS is one in four cancers diagnosed among women in the United States – roughly a risk of 12% within a woman’s lifetime (ACS, 2011, p.17). However, the incidence rates of breast cancer are different for each stage of life. According to an American study (Ademuyiwa et al., 2015), the disease is the most diagnosed invasive cancer amongst young women and represents approximately 25% of the breast cancer cases diagnosed among all women in the United States. Additionally, young black women have been found to have a much higher incidence rate when compare to white women of the age (Ademuyiwa et al., 2015). Prevalence have been found to be higher among older individuals than younger individuals affected by the disease. Breast cancer is still an important health issue which requires more medical research as it is still unknown as to why the biology of breast cancer among young individuals is different from that of older individuals. Breast cancer in younger women have been found to be associated with more aggressive histopathological characteristics such as higher-grade tumors, more advanced stage of disease, and lower hormone receptor positivity (Ademyuiwa et al., 2015). The mortality rates of women aged 50 and …show more content…
Side-effects of treatment such as the loss of a breast, surgical scarring, and weight changes may directly impact an individual’s quality of life (Rosenberg et al., 2012). Another concern which often arise among young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer is an individual’s ability to bear a child after treatment. Treatments such as chemotherapy and hormone drug therapy have been found to damage the ovaries and cause irregular periods or even cease menopause altogether. Hormone drugs, such as tamoxifen, which are taken over long periods of time may lead to a decline in natural fertility (Susan G. Komen, 2014). It is often recommended that affected individuals preserve their childbearing options before receiving treatment. These worries and concerns often lead to women feeling isolated. As a result, it is important that younger women be introduced to support groups in which the affected can all share experiences and feelings with one another. Research relating to breast cancer diagnosis among young women continues to be of great importance in order to better understand the differences of the disease among younger individuals. Agencies such as the Susan G. Komen organization have been funding research related to breast cancer in young women in order to reduce the health issues among this age