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breast cancer in women under the age of 40 is rare. only about seven per cent of those diagnosed with breast cancer have yet to clear their 30s. overall, estimates suggest one in eight canadian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime and one in 34 will die from it; 28,600 women were diagnosed in 2022, according to the canadian cancer society . it’s the second leading cause of death from cancer for women in canada. about 83 per cent of cases occur in women over 50.
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however, incidence of breast cancer in women under 40 is rising, flagging the need to re-examine a medical system that is geared toward older women. researchers at women’s college hospital in toronto and the university of toronto published a review of the literature on breast cancer in young women in march 2023 , noting that young women are not the focus of screening programs and tend to be diagnosed in more advanced stages. these patients also have worse clinical outcomes and treatment complications compared to older patients – yet the early onset breast cancer is “poorly understood with a gap in research regarding the risk factors, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.” the authors say that more age-specific clinical data and treatment options are required.
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carter had signed up for courses with wellspring alberta cancer support , but grill-donovan felt he was “spread too thin” to get involved because of all the added responsibilities he was now shouldering as a caregiver. in hindsight, he says he’d recommend caregivers sign up immediately for valuable learning that would have helped him stay more positive.
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carter was off work for a year and then started back on the job part-time, increasing her work time over the past year. however, she still has a lot of fatigue and brain fog. still, she is also active in advocacy for breast cancer patients as the hr-positive breast cancer ambassador for the canadian breast cancer network , a national patient-driven breast cancer health charity.
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