A new study shows that up to a quarter of all breast cancer cases occur in women under 50, Health Day reports.

At seven outpatient clinics in the New York region, between 20% and 24% of diagnosed breast cancer cases were found in women aged 18 to 49. The findings were presented Monday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago.

“This study shows that a significant portion of cancers are being diagnosed in women under 40 — a group for which there are currently no screening recommendations,” said lead researcher Dr. Stamatia Destounis, a radiologist at Elizabeth Wende Breast Care (EWBC) in Rochester, New York.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends mammography every two years for women ages 40 to 74.

The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammography starting at age 45, but notes that women may begin screening at age 40.

In the new study, scientists analyzed breast cancer cases detected at EWBC between 2014 and 2024. EWBC includes seven outpatient centers within a roughly 200-mile radius in western New York State.

Over 11 years, specialists identified nearly 1,800 breast cancer cases in about 1,300 women under 50. According to the researchers, 81% of the tumors were invasive.

“Most of these cancers were invasive, meaning they were capable of spreading beyond the breast, and many were aggressive — especially in women under 40,” Destounis explained. “Some were triple-negative — a form of breast cancer that is harder to treat because it does not respond to common hormone therapies.”

The researchers note that regardless of the year studied, women under 50 consistently accounted for roughly one in four detected breast cancer cases — even in years when fewer of them underwent screening.

“This is striking because it shows that young women not only bear a steady and significant share of the disease burden, but their tumors are often biologically aggressive,” Destounis said. “This combination — a persistent incidence rate and disproportionately aggressive tumor biology — challenges the current age-based screening guidelines and strengthens the case for earlier, risk-based screening.”

According to Destounis, young women need to be taught how to check their breasts for changes, and they should begin screenings earlier if they have additional risk factors.

“These data confirm that women under 50 — especially those under 40 — cannot automatically be considered a low-risk group. They definitely benefit from undergoing an individualized risk assessment as early as possible,” she noted.

“Women with a strong family history of cancer or genetic mutations, as well as certain minority and ethnic groups, face a higher risk of developing breast cancer at a young age,” Destounis added.

“We cannot rely on age alone to decide who needs screening. A careful assessment of personal and family history — and possibly earlier screening for certain women — can help detect these cancers sooner,” she concluded.

The researchers note that findings presented at medical conferences are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

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