Questions and reflections in the diagnosis and treatment of younger breast cancer in China

Abstract

Compared with the median age of breast cancer onset in western countries at 62-64 years, the median age in China is around 16 years earlier. There are nearly fifty thousand new breast cancer patients younger than 40 years in China every year. The tumor characteristics, diagnosis and treatment methods, and psychosocial needs of these young patients are often different from elder breast cancer patients. Currently, the international clinical guidelines for young breast cancer are mainly formulated by western countries, which often do not address the unique clinical needs from young breast cancer patients in China. There are many questions and problems in the diagnosis and treatment of young breast cancer in China that do not have standard answer and are urgently in need of expert consensus to guide clinical decision-making.