Under age 30 at diagnosis

It can be shocking to learn in your teens or 20s that you have breast cancer. For people under 30, a breast cancer diagnosis has unique challenges. It can disrupt high school, college, early work life, and relationships. It can also leave you feeling isolated from others your age and wondering if anyone like you is going through the same thing.

It’s important to know you’re not alone. LBBC is here for you, with support, information, connection, and resources to help you navigate diagnosis, treatment, emotional health, and more.

Below, we’ll talk about why the risk of breast cancer may be higher for some people under 30, characteristics of breast cancer in younger people, ways to navigate relationships with friends and loved ones, and how to find emotional support.

Risk of breast cancer in people under age 30

Less than 1% of all breast cancers happen in people younger than 30 years old, yet it is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women of that age group. In young women, cases of breast cancer are increasing.

Below, you can learn about factors that increase breast cancer risk in teens and young adults — and what you can do.

Family history

A family history of breast cancer can increase the risk of being diagnosed at a young age:

• The risk is higher if you have a mother, father, grandmother, sister, brother, aunt, or uncle who was diagnosed with breast cancer.
• A diagnosis in a first-degree blood relative (parent, sibling, child) increases your risk more than a breast cancer history in other close relatives.
• Having a blood relative who was diagnosed before age 30 raises the risk of getting breast cancer at a very young age.

Inherited genetic mutations

If a person is diagnosed with breast cancer at a very young age, it can sometimes be due to having an inherited genetic mutation that increase the risk of breast cancer.

• An inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation from either your mother or father significantly increases the risk of breast cancer.
• About half of women with a significant family history of breast cancer have inherited mutations in the BRCA1, BRCA2, or TP53 genes.
  • Inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are more likely in women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age compared with those diagnosed when older (after menopause).
  • An inherited TP53 gene mutation — often linked to a hereditary genetic disorder called Li-Fraumeni syndrome — is rare, but increases the risk of breast cancer in very young women.
  • A person can have an inherited BRCA or TP53 genetic mutation even without a family history of breast cancer, increasing breast cancer risk.
• Men who carry an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have an increased lifetime risk of breast cancer compared to men who are non-carriers. This risk is higher in younger men with these mutations.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recommends that people age 65 or younger diagnosed with breast cancer receive genetic testing to check for inherited mutations. If you are under age 30 and have been diagnosed with breast cancer, talk with your doctor about genetic testing. Ask for a referral to see a genetic counselor. A genetic counselor can:

• Help you understand your family history.
• Explain why testing may be helpful for you.
  • For example, people who test positive for an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation may be eligible to take targeted therapies called PARP inhibitors.
• Order the test.
• Explain what the results may mean for you and your family.

Learn more about genetic testing for inherited mutations.

Birth control pills

Birth control pills contain hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which can cause a small increase in breast cancer risk.

If you are a young woman taking birth control pills now, or if you took them in the recent past, the risk of developing breast cancer is slightly higher than for women who have never taken them.

Decreasing the number of years you take birth control may lower this risk. Within 5 to 7 years of stopping birth control pills, there is no longer a risk.

Visit Birth control and breast cancer to learn about:

• Types of birth control that are safe for people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer
• Protecting your fertility during treatment

Pregnancy

Pregnancy impacts breast cancer risk in different ways. Pregnancy can temporarily increase the risk of breast cancer. However, over time, a full-term pregnancy offers a lifetime protective effect, especially for women who give birth at a young age.

• Research shows that pregnancy-related breast cancer risk peaks about 5 years after giving birth, and then the risk declines.
• Usually, this elevated risk is associated with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
• This temporary increased risk is highest after the first birth, and may be due to pregnancy-related changes such as:
  • Inflammation, immune system changes, and high levels of pregnancy hormones
  • Milk-producing glands returning to normal after stopping breastfeeding
• Compared with women who have not given birth, women who have one or more full-term pregnancies have a 10-30% breast cancer risk reduction.

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer and want to have children, talk with your doctor about:

• Ways to protect your fertility if you will be having treatments that interfere with fertility or the timing of a pregnancy, such as chemotherapy and hormonal therapy
• Whether your doctor recommends increased monitoring during or after pregnancy

Characteristics of breast cancer in very young people

In very young people, breast cancer is more likely to have these characteristics:

• Breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in very young people than it is in older people.
• Breast cancer is more likely to be diagnosed at a higher stage in very young people due to lack of screening standards for this age group.

In young women, breast cancer is more likely to be:

• HER2-positive: HER2-positive means the breast cancer has too many copies of a gene called HER2. This signals the cancer cells to grow.
• Triple-negative: Triple-negative means the cancer’s growth is not fueled by HER2 or by the hormones estrogen or progesterone. Triple-negative breast cancer is more aggressive than other types of breast cancer.

In young men, breast cancer is more likely to be hormone receptor-positive.

Impact on relationships

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 30, navigating relationships with parents, other family members, partners, and friends can feel very different than it does for older people with breast cancer.

Some young people say the hardest part of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is telling their parents. It’s completely normal to worry about the distress parents may feel when they hear the news.

Parents may respond in different ways:

• Often with good intentions, some parents rush in to take over managing care.
• Others may be less intrusive, helping at medical appointments or with babysitting children, cooking, and errands.

For very young people living on their own, or who are independent but living at home, it can be difficult to feel dependent on parents again, even for a short time.

Other sources of support may be siblings, extended family, friends, or partners:

• Sisters or brothers can often be strong supports. Still, some family relationships are difficult. If connections with certain family members are not supportive, extended family members, such as aunts, uncles, or cousins, can often be helpful.
• Friends or acquaintances can sometimes provide the same kind of support as extended family, especially for young people who live far from relatives.
• If you have a partner, going through diagnosis and treatment can often strengthen the relationship. Sometimes, though, the stresses of a diagnosis can expose relationship challenges.

For tips on managing relationships with family, friends, and partners after a breast cancer diagnosis, visit Family and relationships.

Getting emotional support

People who are very young when diagnosed with breast cancer may have added psychosocial concerns. These may include:

• Not having family nearby to help
• Feeling pressured to preserve fertility before breast cancer treatment at a time when you may not have necessarily been thinking about having a child
• Concerns about dating and relationships
• Being a young parent with small children to care for
• Concerns about work and finances
• Feeling isolated from friends and peers involved in “normal” age-related social activities and career pursuits

LBBC is here for you. Visit the pages below to learn about:

• Breast cancer treatment’s impact on fertility and fertility options for women and men
• Tips for navigating finances, health insurance, and work
• Support for emotional health, including help for anxiety and depression, ways to connect with others for support, support for LGBTQ+ community members affected by breast cancer, and how mental health professionals can help
• Complementary therapies that can be supportive, including acupuncture, art therapy, massage therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, yoga, and more
• Ways to manage breast cancer’s impact on body image and sexuality
• Navigating dating during and after breast cancer

You can also connect with others diagnosed at a young age through these LBBC resources:

• Flourish is LBBC’s free and private online community where you can ask questions, exchange experiences, and receive and offer support.
• LBBC’s Breast Cancer Helpline at (888) 753-LBBC (5222) can connect you with a young person who faced a situation similar to yours and who understands. Helpline volunteers offer peer support, information, and hope.