Breast cancer incidence trends in U.S. women under 40 vary by geography and supports incorporating location information with established risk factors into risk prediction, improving the ability to identify groups of younger women at higher risk for early-onset breast cancer, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. This study comprehensively examined trends across different states, regions, metropolitan versus non-metropolitan areas and by racial and ethnic groups. It also is one of the first to incorporate registry data from all 50 states to examine age-specific breast cancer trends. The findings are published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control.
"Breast cancer incidence is increasing in U.S. women under 40, but until now, it was unknownif incidence trends varied by U.S. geographic region," said Rebecca Kehm, PhD, assistant professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School, and first author. "Our findings can more accurately inform whether exposures that vary in prevalence across the U.S. also contributes to breast cancer risk in younger women."
