Empowering Young Women: Early Detection Matters in Saving the Lives of Young Women with Breast Cancer

DENVER, COLORADO, UNITED STATES, January 16, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Breast cancer during a woman's early years poses unique personal, social, career, and medical challenges that are different from those encountered by women with breast cancer in later years of life. In general, women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age have poorer outcomes. This is partly because of the late first clinical detection of breast cancer; “diagnostic delays” in younger women often happen at later stages of the disease.

Factors contributing to delayed diagnoses are multifaceted, influenced by socioeconomic disparities, healthcare guidelines, accessibility, or sometimes, reasons beyond control. Such diagnostic delays broadly could be both at the patient level, i.e., exemplified by albeit to no awareness in our youth and young women, and their healthcare providers' level – as sometimes healthcare providers tend to dismiss suspicious signs because of young women’s age, ultimately leading to delayed timely treatment. Diagnostic delays further add to the unique challenges faced by young women with breast cancer.

To raise awareness and start an open conversation about this growing trend of diagnostic delays in younger women with suspected abnormalities and minimize its devastating consequences on young women, the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation (BCYW Foundation) is pleased to announce the publication of an article, "Diagnostic Delays in Breast Cancer among Young Women: An Emphasis on Healthcare Providers" in the journal, The Breast.

The article highlights the critical role healthcare providers play in facilitating early detection for young women facing suspicion of breast cancer. It aims to emphasize examples of preventable bottlenecks in diagnostic delays and highlights the potential consequences of time lost on the disease progression and patients' anxiety. Imagine a world where young women no longer have to fear the devastating impact of delayed initial breast cancer diagnosis for reasons beyond their control. The article focuses on one of many underlying reasons for diagnostic delays – the healthcare providers. The article benefitted from the experiences and thoughtfulness of over a dozen experienced breast oncologists, surgeons, community medicine doctors, and breast cancer scientists affiliated with seventeen cancer hospitals, institutions, universities, or organizations from the USA, Portugal, India, Mexico, and Japan.

"Understanding the factors, at least preventable, behind diagnostic delays is crucial," says the lead author, Luis Costa, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor at the Lisbon School of Medicine - a leading Breast Oncologist in Portugal - and a Director of the BCYW Foundation, "Stereotypes associating breast cancer with postmenopausal groups and the absence of younger women in routine screening programs also contribute to delayed diagnosis.”

“In some cases, healthcare providers need the training to recognize and address concerns raised by young women regarding their breast health," said Allan Lipton, M.D., Emeritus Professor at the Penn State College of Medicine and a Director of the BCYW Foundation. Furthermore, “the emotional toll and loss of trust in the medical system among affected individuals are profound.”

“Delay to detect, early to death! Breast Cancer is curable if detected early,” noted Mukurdipi Ray, M.B.B.S., M.S., Professor of Surgical Oncology at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences New Delhi and one of the BCYW Foundation’s Global Ambassadors for India. Sunil Saini, M.B.B.S., M.S., Professor of Surgical Oncology and Director of the Cancer Research Institute at the Swami Rama Himalayan University - Dehradun and BCYW Foundation’s Global Ambassador for India felt that “apart from biological basis, lack of general awareness amongst women as well as health care professionals contributes towards late diagnosis of breast cancer in young women. Medical, Nursing & public health education at the primary & secondary levels is deficient in information about the possibilities of finding breast cancer in young women while focussed mainly on women of older age.”

“Every woman should be conscious of her own risk of developing breast cancer. Risk-assessment tools are easily obtainable, particularly for those who might have hereditary breast cancer-related genetic variations,” said Masakazu Toi, M.D., Ph.D. Director, Tokyo Metropolitan Cancer and Infectious Disease Center, Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, and one of the BCYW Foundation’s Scientific Advisors. He further added, “This is important as about 1% of the general population and about 10% of breast cancer patients may possess hereditary breast cancer-related genetic variants.”

Professor Chintamani, M.S., F.R.C.S., Chair of the Surgical Oncology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, believes that “Since the intent is to highlight and neutralize the provider delays, making the healthcare providers more aware and sensitive to the possibility is crucial and should be periodically reinforced. It is also important not to make healthy women anxious about an event that may never happen.”

“The consequences of any delay in timely diagnosis are substantial as breast Tumors in younger patients tend to grow faster than breast tumors in older patients, requiring swift attention,” emphasizes Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., the Founder and CEO of the BCYW Foundation. “It could also contribute to tumor progression to the advanced stage, which might limit the most optimal treatments and prolong the suffering.” He further believes, “While progress is being made, there's much ground to cover in targeted education, awareness, prevention, and promoting early breast cancer among our youth, young professionals, and young women to ensure a future without breast cancer for them."

The BCYW Foundation’s commitment is to promote targeted awareness and advance research and advocacy. The Foundation relies on individual contributions and global collaborations to support its mission. To donate or get involved, visit https://www.breastcancerinyoungwomen.org.

About: The BCYW Foundation is a coalition of compassionate volunteers with a shared vision: to create a reality in which the death of a young woman from breast cancer becomes a rare event. The Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation International visionary team includes breast cancer doctors, scientists, advocates, BCYW survivors, non-governmental organizations, and global ambassadors for 20 countries with its awareness material in 13 International languages and examples of bi-lingual inspiring stories of brave breast cancer survivors in 6 international languages. The BCYW Foundation focuses exclusively on core issues related to breast cancer in young women.

Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D., Founder and CEO
Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation
bcywf@breastcancerinyoungwomen.org
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.