describe breast cancer in young women

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among young women. It affects women under the age of 40 and can be diagnosed at any age from adolescence to adulthood. Risk factors for breast cancer in younger women include having a family history of the disease, early onset menarche, late menopause, high estrogen levels, lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption and smoking, being overweight or obese, and exposure to radiation. Symptoms of breast cancer in young women are often difficult to detect due to changes in normal development during puberty. These may include a lump or mass in the breast tissue that does not go away after menstruation; pain or tenderness in one area; skin dimpling or puckering; nipple discharge that is not milky white; redness or scaliness on the nipple surface; changes in size or shape of either breast; swollen lymph nodes under arm (axillary) nodes; and general fatigue. Diagnosis includes physical examination, imaging tests such as mammograms, ultrasounds, MRI scans along with biopsies if indicated. Treatment options depend on the stage and extent of disease but typically involve chemotherapy (drugs taken orally or intravenously), radiation therapy (X-rays used internally on specific areas), hormone therapies (using drugs that block hormones from reaching certain tumors) surgery (including lumpectomies where only part of the tumor is removed) targeted therapies which uses drugs to target specific types cancer cells and immunotherapy which uses substances made by your immune system to destroy cancer cells.