PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Breast cancer rates are rising among women under 50-years-old, according to the American Cancer Society’s 2024 breast cancer statistics report that was released Tuesday.
The ACS said that since 2021, rates have increased about 1.4% per year in women aged 50 and under. The reason why, however, is not clear.
“The numbers are so dramatic, particularly in the ages 20 to 29 where there is no screening going on in anyone’s guidelines at this point,” said Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. William L. Dahut.
The report also talks about disparities. While Black women are 5% less likely to develop breast cancer, they are 38% more likely to die from it than White women.
To address this disparity, the ACS launched the Voices of Black Women Study in May.
“There may be things such as geographical location, different environmental exposures, work exposures, types of exercise, type of diet, tobacco use, cannabis use, other things that are all part of it,” Dahut said.
Breast cancer risk has also doubled among Asian American/Pacific Islanders over the past two decades, the ACS said, while American Indian and Alaska Natives are the only group with no reduction in breast cancer death rates in the past 30 years.
ACS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Karen Knudsen advises not to wait to see if you develop cancer. Rather, take action to reduce your risks — eat a healthy diet, keep a healthy weight, stay active and limit alcohol.
“If you feel or see something, do something,” Knudsen said, “and it doesn’t matter if you had your mammogram on Tuesday. If Wednesday something seems amiss, go get seen.”
Despite that bad news in the ACS report, there is perhaps an even greater sense of hope in it. Breast cancer deaths are down 44% since the high mark in 1989 — that’s 500,000 lives saved, Knudsen said, due to innovation in detection and treatment.
To read the report, see below: