Epidemiology

British Journal of Cancer (2007) 96, 1743–1746. doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6603783 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 29 May 2007

Recent increase of breast cancer incidence among women under the age of forty

C Bouchardy1, G Fioretta1, H M Verkooijen1,2, G Vlastos3, P Schaefer3, J-F Delaloye4, I Neyroud-Caspar1, S Balmer Majno5, Y Wespi6, M Forni6, P Chappuis7, A-P Sappino7 and E Rapiti1

  1. 1Geneva Cancer Registry, Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Geneva, 55, bd de la Cluse, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
  2. 2Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore, 16 Medical Drive, 117597, Singapore
  3. 3Senology and Surgical Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Bd de la Cluse 32, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
  4. 4Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Vaud University Hospitals, CHUV, Rue du Bugnon 21, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
  5. 5Division of Radio-Oncology, Geneva University Hospitals, Av. de la Roseraie 53, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
  6. 6Association of Physicians of the canton of Geneva, Rue Micheli-du-Crest 12, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
  7. 7Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Micheli-du-Crest 24, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland

Correspondence: Dr C Bouchardy, E-mail: Christine.BouchardyMagnin@imsp.unige.ch

Received 8 February 2007; Revised 2 April 2007; Accepted 13 April 2007.

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Abstract

Using data from the Geneva Cancer Registry, we found that in 2002–2004, breast cancer incidence in women aged 25–39 years increased by 46.7% per year (95% CI: 7.1–74.0, P=0.015), which surveillance or detection bias may not fully explain.

Keywords:

breast cancer, young patients, trend, incidence rates, cancer registry, population-based study