Cancer Discussions - September 22nd, 2009 - 4 Comments
Could breast cancer start at an early age?
Could breast cancer start at an early age?How old?I have this kind of rock in my breast and I’m worried if it is one of the signs.But I’ve had the rock thing in my breast for 2 years.
Young people are much less likely to get cancer, and there are all sorts of other things the lump could be. But the only sensible thing to do is show it to your doctor and get a professional opinion. If it IS something serious, your chances are much better the earlier it’s diagnosed.
Hello,
Yes, you can develop breast cancer at any age. It is just more common in the 20-70 year old age group. Show the area to your doctor to be sure.
Best Regards,
John Di Saia MD
Hi. I’m sorry to hear about this and know first hand how stressful this can be.. It could certainly be a lot of things (so try not to panic) but it’s always best to be cautious when it comes to your health. I had a small "marble-like" lump in my breast at 30. I went to a breast surgeon just to make sure it was OK. The Dr. laughed at me and told me I was way too young to worry about cancer. Six months later the lump was still there and I had moved to a new city and went to get a second opinion..Turns out it was breast cancer (thankfully I am alive and well 4 years later!). The bottom line is that it is always in your best interest to protect your health. Go see your gynocologist and show him/her the "rock" and get their opinion. The best way to understand what the "rock" is will be to get a mamogram and a sonogram and if they are still not sure a biopsy or mri of the breast. Hopefully this will be something totally benign and not a big deal at all!! My advice is not to take any chances with your health. You will also feel a lot better after you handle the problem because it may be causing you stress. I’m unsure of how old you are but I personally know women that were diagnosed with breast cancer 25-30 in case that helps. Good luck and god bless!! If it makes you feel better the exact same thing happened to my sister and she was so relieved to find out she was having problems with a cyst!!
Believe it or not, there was news some months back about a 10-year old girl who was diagnosed with breast cancer. That’s right, a girl barely in her teens. The diagnosis? Invasive ductal carcinoma, Stage IIA.
Just to give you an in idea, Invasive Ductal Carcinoma or IDC is the type of cancer present in 80% of all breast cancer diagnosis. Ductal refers to the fact that the cancer originates in the milk ducts of the breast; carcinoma refers to the fact that the cancer began in the skin or tissue on the breast. Ductal carcinoma is often said to be invasive if the cancer cells have extended beyond the walls of the milk duct into the breast’s tissue. Because ductal carcinomas refer to cancer of the breast, staging is the same as for all breast cancers.
IDC Stage II A is diagnosed under a number of different conditions. If there is no visible tumor, but there is a presence of cancer in lymph nodes under the arm, it is Stage IIA. A tumor 2 cms or less in length with lymph node involvement is also Stage IIA. Finally, a tumor between 2 and 5 cm with no lymph node involvement is also Stage IIA.
To be safe, why not have it checked?