The increase in the incidence of breast cancer in the population under the age of 50 in the last 5 years in the state of Rio de Janeiro

Introduction: Breast cancer in young women is clinically defined as that which affects women aged 40 years or younger. Although the occurrence of this malignant neoplasm in women under 40 does not constitute the majority of breast cancer diagnoses, a steady global increase is observed among young women. In this context, challenges arise in achieving early diagnosis, with one of the main obstacles being the lack of risk perception within this age group. Therapeutic receptors, along with clinical characteristics, determine the molecular subtypes of breast cancer, with luminal B, HER2-positive, and basal tumors being the most prevalent in women under 40 compared to older patients diagnosed with this neoplasm.

Objective: To evaluate, through a review, the increase in the incidence of breast cancer in women under 50 years old over the past five years in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Methods: Observational studies and review articles published in the last five years related to breast cancer screening in women under 50 years old will be selected. Articles involving women previously diagnosed with another type of cancer will be excluded. Additionally, quantitative data from DATASUS on cytopathological exams performed in women under 50 years old, categorized by age group, during the period from 2019 to 2023 in the state of Rio de Janeiro will be collected. Finally, the data will be organized in Excel and compared with the literature.

Results: The incidence of breast cancer in young women (under 50 years old) increased by approximately 636% from 2019 to 2023, according to DATASUS. This increase was most significant in the age groups of 40 to 44 years and 45 to 49 years.

Conclusion: The study reveals that the incidence of breast cancer has increased in the female population under 50 years old. Breast cancer in young women requires special attention due to its specific morphological and prognostic characteristics, as young women tend to have a higher likelihood of presenting with more aggressive tumors and are often diagnosed at more advanced stages. Given this increase, it is crucial to better understand the risk factors to provide early diagnosis and effective screening.

Corresponding author: Raysa Eduarda Andrade Gonçalves (e-mail: raysaeag@gmail.com).