Epidemiology and socio-cultural specificities of young women with breast cancer

Breast cancer, with 58,459 new cases in France in 2018, is the most common cancer among women. Breast cancer, of young women, defined by consensus as women under 40 years of age, represents only 5% of breast cancer cases in France and 7% worldwide. Epidemiology: The incidence rate of breast cancer increased in France between 1990 and 2018, with an average increase of +1.1% per year. An overall upward trend is also found in Europe and the United States. The mortality rate (MPR) follows an inverse trend with an average decrease of -1.3% per year between 1990 and 2018. Survival is 90% at 5 years for young women, slightly lower than for women aged 45 to 74 (92-93%). Socio-cultural specificities The testimonies collected in the Meeting and Information Spaces show that young women experience the disease in a very different way from women usually affected by the disease. The consequences of cancer and treatment have a strong impact on their lives as women, couples, mothers, but also on their social, professional and civic lives. Returning to work is particularly difficult for young women, who are often away from the company for more than 10 months and 1 in 5 of whom report feeling penalized in their careers because of the disease. This aspect of the post-disease period, although crucial, is often overlooked and underestimated.