Breast cancer screening gaps and rising early-onset diagnoses

A national survey by Hologic reveals that 37 percent of 1,000 women in the U.S. aged 35 to 75 have skipped or delayed a recommended mammogram. Among those who fell behind, 40 percent went more than two years without screening. Barriers to access include transportation issues, housing instability, food insecurity, inflexible clinic hours, and caregiving demands. Notably, 59 percent of women facing transportation barriers reported skipping mammograms, compared to 31 percent of those without such barriers.

Separately, medical data indicates a rise in early-onset breast cancer diagnoses among women under age 50 over the last two decades. While rare in younger populations, breast cancer is the most common cancer for women between ages 15 and 39. Research suggests this surge is driven by an increase in estrogen-receptor positive tumors. Black women aged 20 to 29 face a 53 percent increased risk. Cancers in younger women are often associated with poorer prognoses, including larger tumor sizes and higher recurrence rates.