Breast Cancer In Young Women

Young girls have health teachings about how their bodies change at puberty, discovering body differences like curvier hips, start menstruation, grown hair under arms, legs, genital area and begin to develop breasts. When girls become women the health teachings change to health wellness and pro-active prevention of diseases. “The routine physical allows you to discuss plans for good health and safe living. You can discuss healthy eating, relationship issues, birth control, prevention of infection, and other important topics. A routine physical exam is important to make sure that everything is developing normally. If problems are found, it is always important to pick them up as early as possible. It is important for women to have annual screening

“Breast cancer not just a disease of older women” (See appendices A) focuses breast cancer awareness to young women between the ages of 15 – 39. The pamphlets overall message provides helpful facts, sign and symptoms, risk factors of breast cancer and offers numerous links for self-help. The pamphlet introduces the journey of a young women named Shanna Larsen who struggled with the appropriate diagnosis, her health care provider’s did not recognize her signs and symptoms as a potential diagnosis of breast cancer until it was too late. “Breast cancer is the fifth leading diagnosis in young Canadian women between 15 and 29 years of age, following thyroid, lymphomas, melanomas, and cervical cancers” (Canadian Cancer Society, 2009). Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women under the age of 40 (Leclère et al., 2013). Breast cancer is not a specific cancer or disease, the tumors are grouped and classified depending where they are located, ductal cancer is within the breast ducts, lobular cancer is within any of the 15 – 20 lobes per breast and invasive breast cancer is when the tumors spread beyond the ducts and/or lobes of the breast (Canadian Cancer Society,

In breast cancer, this abnormal growth begins in cells in the breast tissue. Women under 40 who are diagnosed with breast cancer have additional struggles than women 50 years or older, younger women face mortality earlier, have premature menopause, higher depression due to diagnosis and body changes from mastectomy. “Women under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer correlates strongly with the risk of local recurrence and with the odds of contralateral breast cancer. Given the high risks of local and distant recurrence in young women with invasive breast cancer, most (if not all) young patients are candidates for chemotherapy. It is hoped that by increasing breast cancer awareness, the proportion of invasive breast cancers that are diagnosed may lead to a reduction in mortality” (Narod, S. A., 2012). Breast cancer awareness for young women is a crucial health teaching issue that requires attention beyond the classroom, knowing the risk factors could save a life. A women’s body changes throughout her life, paying attention to your body is the primary factor in recognizing any