Simon Vincent, director of research, support and influencing at Breast Cancer Now said:
“While breast cancer is less common in younger women, it’s a leading cause of death in women aged under 50.
“Around 2,400 women aged 39 or under hear the words “you have breast cancer” each year in the UK, and this is why ongoing research, like BCAN-RAY, plays a vital role in helping us to further understand breast cancer risk in younger women, and importantly, whether the introduction of risk-based screening or screening at a younger age could save more lives from the disease.
“Support should currently be available for younger women who are identified as being at increased risk of breast cancer due to a strong family history, but worryingly, in reality, we know far too few of these women have easy access to the right support, including risk reducing treatment options and earlier, more frequent screening. This variation must be urgently addressed to enable women to make informed choices about all the options available to help reduce their risk and, if breast cancer does develop, maximise their chances of an early diagnosis as we know the sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the better the chance of treatment being successful.
“In this context, the upcoming national cancer plan for England presents a critical opportunity to focus on improving access to risk-reduction treatment and early diagnosis tools, that can ultimately help reduce deaths from breast cancer. And we continue to work with the government and NHS to ensure a strong focus is placed on ensuring that everyone gets the early diagnosis they deserve.
“It’s also crucial that all younger women are empowered to know the importance of regular breast checking – which is as simple as TLC, touch, look, check, with around two thirds of breast cancers in England being found when women detect a new or unusual breast change and get this checked out by a GP.
“We know that receiving a breast cancer diagnosis as a younger women can feel incredibly isolating and worrying and that’s why we’re here with free, tailored support, like our Younger Women Together groups. So if you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer or you know someone who has, you can find out more at breastcancernow.org or you can speak to one of our expert nurses on our free, confidential Helpline by calling 0808 800 6000 or contact them by email.”
ENDS