- Hello, I'm Dr. Maya Hatton.
If you're under the age of 45,
breast cancer might be a distant thought.
It's something that happens to other people,
older people but well, let's talk statistics.
In the United States, one in eight women
will get breast cancer.
Of those, one in 10 will be under the age of 45.
I was one of them.
I was 28 years old
just starting my residency
when I discovered a lump in my breast.
The weeks that followed were scary,
confusing, overwhelming and of all the questions
and thoughts running through my head,
none were more persistent than I'm too young
for this to be happening.
After my treatment, I decided to devote my career
toward raising awareness about breast cancer
under the age of 45,
also known as early onset breast cancer.
So, first off, what makes
early onset breast cancer different
from other cancers?
A few things set it apart.
It's often hereditary,
meaning it runs in your family.
It's usually found at a later stage.
It's generally more aggressive
and more difficult to treat
and it's usually coupled with unique issues
like well, when I was going through my treatment,
I joined a support group
and during our sessions,
we'd talk about a lot of things
from body image to fertility issues
to financial concerns
and feelings of isolation.
Now let's talk about risk.
Everyone with breasts is at risk
for developing breast cancer
but some things can increase your chance
of developing early onset breast cancer.
We call these things risk factors
and it's important to know what these risk factors are
because it can allow you and your doctor
to develop a plan
that can help you prevent breast cancer
or catch it early when it's easier to treat.
So, what are these risk factors?
Family history meaning if anyone
in your family, parents, siblings, children,
or other relatives on either your mother
or your father's side
was diagnosed with early onset breast
or ovarian cancer, some people think
only your maternal line counts
but actually any family history
of breast cancer is important
especially if more than one relative
was diagnosed or if a male relative had breast cancer.
A genetic mutation is a change to certain genes
which can be inherited.
Having a genetic mutation
like in the BRCA or BRCA gene
increases your risk of developing hereditary breast
and ovarian cancer or HBOC.
This means that the cancer is passed
from generation to generation in a family.
If you are of Ashkenazi Jewish decent
you have an increased chance
of having a BRCA genetic mutation
that increases your risk of breast cancer
at a young age.
African American women under age 35 have breast cancer rates
two times higher than white women of the same age.
If you've had chest radiation before aged 30,
maybe for a condition like childhood cancer
or Hodgkin's lymphoma
then you have a higher breast cancer risk.
You're also at risk if you've had breast
or ovarian cancer in the past
making it more likely to develop cancer a second time.
Additionally, some non-cancerous breast diseases
such as atypical hyperplasia
or lobular carcinoma in situ
are associated with a higher risk of getting breast cancer
now, keep in mind that a risk is just that, a risk.
It's a possibility.
Falling into one of these categories
does not guarantee what will happen.
What's important is knowing your situation
and being aware of the steps you can take
to manage your risk.
If any of these risk factors apply to you,
talk to your doctor
so you can discuss your concerns and any next steps
that need to be taken.
For some tips on how to start that conversation,
watch our video on Talking to Your Doctor
and whether your risk is average or high,
learn the ways you can help reduce your breast cancer risk
and discover it early
in our Risk Reduction and Warning Signs video.