Science- Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers for women.
- The risk of getting the disease generally increases with age, but young people can get it too.
While breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women in the US, the risk for getting the disease typically increases with age.
However, young people can get breast cancer, too. Peloton instructor Leanne Hainsby, who is 35, announced in a recent Instagram post that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in August and has been undergoing treatments since then.
Hainsby wrote that she was sharing her story to raise awareness of the disease.
"I'm young for breast cancer at 35," she said. "I went to a doctor the same morning I found the lump, and was told everything was ok. I trusted my gut and got a second opinion. That saved my life. Check, and check again."
Around 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer during their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Men can also develop the disease, but it is far less prevalent.
Some women may have a higher risk for the disease if close relatives have also been diagnosed at a young age or if they have dense breasts, or breasts that have a higher amount of fibrous and glandular tissue compared to fatty tissue.
When she turns 30, a woman has a 1 in 204, or 0.49%, chance of developing breast cancer in the next decade, according to an annual report published by the NCI that tracked cancer statistics between 2015 and 2017. At 40, that figure rises to 1.55%. It continues rising in subsequent decades, reaching 4.09% at 70.
The American Cancer Society recommends that women at average risk for breast cancer start getting screened at age 45, and considers screenings beginning at age 40.
The NCI offers a calculator that can help you determine your individual risk of breast cancer.
While treatments for breast cancer vary depending on the stage of the disease, they can include chemotherapy, surgery, and hormonal therapy.