{"id":526635,"date":"2025-10-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northernvirginiamag.com\/?p=526635"},"modified":"2025-09-30T16:36:49","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T20:36:49","slug":"experts-are-seeing-a-rise-in-early-onset-breast-cancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northernvirginiamag.com\/wellness\/2025\/10\/01\/experts-are-seeing-a-rise-in-early-onset-breast-cancer\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts Are Seeing a Rise in Early-Onset Breast Cancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For many women, breast cancer has been a worry reserved for later in life. But a troubling trend shows that women would be wise to pay attention to it earlier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In women under age 50, there was a 1.4 percent increase in breast cancer diagnosis each year between 2012 and 2022, says Dr. Rebecca Kaltman, executive director of Inova\u2019s Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center<\/a>. \u201cThis is significant and concerning, because women under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer are almost 40 percent more likely to die from breast cancer compared to women over 40,\u201d Kaltman says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Breast
Gordenkoff\/stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Understanding the Increase<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Experts say the rise is multifactorial, and the shift obviously can\u2019t be ascribed to genetics alone. It\u2019s not just better detection that\u2019s behind the trend, says Dr. Matthew T. Hueman, a breast surgical oncologist at Virginia Cancer Specialists<\/a>. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing real increases.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doctors point to reproductive patterns, lifestyle choices, and potentially even environmental exposures as risk factors behind the trend. Hueman says estrogen levels are a huge factor, and milestones like a woman\u2019s first period and her age during childbirth are significant. \u201cSocietally, we\u2019re seeing women have children later in life and often [having] fewer children. It\u2019s certainly not a reason to have kids earlier \u2014 or at all \u2014 but we do know it lowers breast cancer risk,\u201d Hueman explains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women who never give birth or who have their first child after age 30 face higher risk than those with full-term pregnancies before 30. Kaltman adds that \u201cprecocious puberty\u201d is also a factor, noting that some girls now begin menstruating as early as age 9, adding extra years of hormonal exposure that may raise risk later in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaltman says that earlier onset obesity \u2014 and increased obesity rates in the U.S. in general \u2014is another contributing factor.      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medical oncologist Dr. Kevin Diasti at Virginia Cancer Specialists recommends \u201ca diet that\u2019s rich in plants. That is, fruits, vegetables, having our fats be more associated with olive oils, and a lot of our proteins much more in the way of seafood rather than animal fats.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaltman recommends getting an InBody scan, which she says is available at many area gyms, to get an accurate sense of your body composition (percent body fat versus muscle mass). Everyone who comes through Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center gets one, she says. \u201cFor women, any percent body fat above 30 percent is considered a risk factor for cancer.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another incredible statistic: \u201cForty percent of cancers are preventable with lifestyle change alone,\u201d says Kaltman. She recommends \u201cminimizing alcohol, making sure you\u2019re exercising, maintaining an ideal body weight, maintaining muscle mass, not smoking. Smoking is probably the biggest contributor to risk. \u2026 Lifestyle factors cannot be minimized. They really need to be focused on.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 2024 American Cancer Society<\/a> study found that half of all cancer deaths in adults 30 years old and older in the U.S. could be attributed to modifiable risk factors. Cigarette smoking contributed to nearly 20 percent of all cancer cases and 30 percent of all cancer deaths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hueman says more comprehensive research is needed into potential factors leading to this increase, including more research on the impact of microplastics. Genetic\/hereditary factors, he says, only explain about 10 percent of breast cancer cases in women.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Woman
Lordn\/stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Advocating for Yourself\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hueman recommends that, by the age of 25, women \u201cfind a trusted doctor to do a risk assessment so that they can determine whether they\u2019re at a higher risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jillian Sanchez was only 30 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2024. \u201cI had been feeling a lump the size of a small marble on my right breast for several months starting in early 2024 and brought it up with my gynecologist,\u201d she says. \u201cDuring that appointment, the doctor took my concerns seriously and ordered a mammogram and ultrasound.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sanchez had no direct family history of breast cancer and was not high risk. But she paid attention to the changes in her body. Now, she advocates for others to do the same. \u201cI would encourage everyone to be familiar with their bodies and conduct monthly self-breast exams.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also recommends \u201cusing the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment Calculator or another similar test offered by your gynecologist or primary care doctor. It\u2019s completely free and can shed light on risk factors based on your personal and family medical history,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diasti also says to pay attention to your body. \u201cIf you notice any changes in your breast, whether it\u2019s a new mass or lump that doesn\u2019t go away, any skin changes, or anything that feels significantly different from what\u2019s normal for you, I strongly recommend getting it evaluated.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaltman says women need to make sure they are looking at their breasts. \u201cMy general recommendation is to look in the mirror once a month, generally about a week after your period. Make sure that things are not changing.\u201d She says to look out for any changes or asymmetry in breast contour (though asymmetry in size is typical); nipple retraction, \u201cif one of the nipples is pulling back in a little bit;\u201d or \u201cif there\u2019s any irritation to the nipple.\u201d Rashes are another red flag: \u201cRashes on the breast tissue, in and of itself, it\u2019s a concern and something to be evaluated,\u201d Kaltman says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cContinue advocating for yourself with your doctors or find another one if you feel your concerns are not being taken seriously. Talk to your insurance provider to determine what diagnostic tests you can receive as part of your coverage,\u201d Sanchez says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Screening on Wheels\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Inova is working to make cancer screenings more convenient for everyone in the community. Earlier this year, the Inova Saville Cancer Screening and Prevention Center debuted a state-of-the-art bus<\/a> that provides onsite services like 3D mammograms, blood draws, Pap smears, and skin exams. Its first public stop<\/a> was at Neighborhood Health in Alexandria. It aims for about two community events a week and supports uninsured patients through philanthropic funding. Learn more at inova.org<\/a> or by emailing MobileScreening@Inova.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feature image, stock.adobe.com<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story originally ran in our\u00a0October issue. For more stories like this,\u00a0subscribe<\/a>\u00a0to Northern Virginia Magazine.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Local oncologists share what’s behind this concerning trend \u2014 and what can be done about it. ","protected":false},"author":1002086,"featured_media":526636,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54660],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-526635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExperts Are Seeing a Rise in Early-Onset Breast Cancer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For many women, breast cancer has been a worry reserved for later in life. 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