Breast Cancer in Patients Younger Than 40 Years: Imaging, Assessment, and Management

Abstract

“Young women,” defined as women younger than 40 years at breast cancer diagnosis, represent approximately 7% of all women diagnosed with breast cancer in developed countries. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in young women. It constitutes more than 12,150 newly diagnosed patients every year in the United States. Young women have specific issues including those related to fertility, cancer genetics, and psychosocial concerns, and often need a different approach than do older women.1 Although breast cancer in older women is detected most commonly by mammographic screening, breast cancer in young women is diagnosed more often by clinical symptoms. Delayed diagnosis in this age group is common due to lack of awareness in women and physicians.2 The radiologist must have an appropriate level of suspicion while evaluating young women so as not to miss breast cancer.

Caracterización clínica-epidemiológica de pacientes menores o iguales a 40 años con cáncer de mama

“…La falta de un estudio mamográfico de rutina en las pacientes menores de 40 años contribuye a esto, ya que se presenta más a menudo con una masa palpable que con un hallazgo en mamografía de tamizaje 22,25 . De igual forma, en las pacientes premenopáusicas los estudios de imágenes se pueden reportar con hallazgos probablemente benignos, con lo que contribuye al retraso en el diagnóstico 23 , es por ello que algunos autores recomiendan el uso de la tomosíntesis mamaria como un método diagnóstico más certero 29,30 .…”