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Breast Cancer in Young Women

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Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy

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Abstract

Breast cancer is predominantly a disease of older women; however, when it does appear in young women (<40), it presents many unique challenges. Young women with breast cancer are more likely to harbour a germline mutation in BRCA1/2, and this will have an impact on therapeutic decision-making, as well as risk reduction and screening considerations (ongoing breast screening as well as screening for other malignancies). Breast cancer in young women is often characterized by more unfavourable biological features and higher risk of locoregional recurrence. While systemic therapy considerations should be dictated by biology and not by age, locoregional management and decisions on type and extent of radiation are most certainly influenced by the age of the patient. Young women derive greater benefit from tumour bed boost and post-mastectomy radiation than older patients; however, they are also at risk of long-term radiation-related complications during a longer life expectancy. The use of moderately hypofractionated regimens is indicated in younger as for older women. Partial breast irradiation is strongly discouraged in young women. It is important to remember that young women face multiple ongoing treatments and survivorship issues including the need for fertility counselling and preservation, adverse impact of premature menopause and psychosocial distress. Young women with breast cancer are best managed by an enlarged multidisciplinary team with a holistic approach to their management and survivorship care.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Breast Unit, University Clinical Center, Department of Oncology & Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland

    Elzbieta Senkus

  2. Breast Oncology, Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

    Shani Paluch-Shimon

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  1. Elzbieta Senkus
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  2. Shani Paluch-Shimon
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Correspondence to Shani Paluch-Shimon .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Radiation Oncology Unit, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel

    Orit Kaidar-Person

  2. Radiation Oncology Unit, Oncology Department, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy

    Icro Meattini

  3. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Philip Poortmans

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Senkus, E., Paluch-Shimon, S. (2022). Breast Cancer in Young Women. In: Kaidar-Person, O., Meattini, I., Poortmans, P. (eds) Breast Cancer Radiation Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91170-6_49

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91170-6_49

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