Breast cancer rates among women in their 30s are on the rise
New data from Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions—a leading provider of data and analytics—indicates that breast cancer diagnoses among younger women are rising at “troubling” rates.
The new figures were derived from de-identified medical claims filed between 2021 and 2023. The analysis was conducted to assess how screening recommendations have impacted diagnosis rates for breast and colorectal cancers.
According to this latest data, screening among younger women has been steadily rising for years. Consequently, so have cancer rates among the population.
Since 2021, breast cancer rates have risen by 4% for women in their 30s—more double the rate of diagnosis in all ages combined. An uptick in screening rates could be behind the rising figures, as screening mammograms rose by nearly 13% among 30-somethings from 2021-2023. What’s more, the rise in screening among women in their 30s outpaced rates for those in their 40s (10.3).
Diagnoses were up among women over 70 as well, rising by nearly 6% during the timeframe analyzed. This represents around 100,000 additional cancers, the new report estimates.
Interestingly, the new data precede the United States Preventive Services Task Force’s (USPSTF) updated breast cancer screening recommendations. In April of 2024, USPSTF lowered the screening age for women at average risk from 50 to 40. The new recs do not extend beyond the age of 74, as the task force says, “current evidence isn't enough to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography for women in this age group.”
The new guidelines suggest women undergo screening mammograms every other year, rather than annually. This is in contrast to the annual screening recommendation that organizations like the American College of Radiology and Society of Breast Imaging endorse.
Diana Zuskov, associate VP of healthcare strategy and innovation at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, stressed the importance of these new data in informing future guidelines.
“Using up-to-date claims data empowers healthcare organizations to examine policy change, healthcare delivery trends, and more effectively design programs that improve engagement and participation in preventive care, such as cancer screenings,” Zuskov said in a release. “Timely data on how patients are impacted by changing guidelines and healthcare innovation is critical to removing barriers to care and addressing health disparities among groups with limited access to care.”
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.