Data from all 50 states show early onset breast cancer is on the rise in younger women: Does place of exposure matter?

Breast cancer incidence trends in U.S. women under 40 vary by geography and supports incorporating location information with established risk factors into risk prediction, improving the ability to identify groups of younger women at higher risk for early-onset breast cancer, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. This study comprehensively examined trends across different states, regions, metropolitan versus non-metropolitan areas and by racial and ethnic groups. It is also one of the first to incorporate registry data from all 50 states to examine age-specific breast cancer trends. The findings are published in the journal Cancer Causes & Control.