Early Onset Breast Cancer
Description
This contributed volume addresses a critical gap in oncology by focusing on the distinct biological, clinical, and psychosocial aspects of early-onset breast cancer. As incidence among younger patients continues to rise, the book brings together pioneering research and clinical expertise to offer timely, evidence-based insights into tumor biology, genomic challenges, diagnostic complexities, emerging research directions, and tailored treatment strategies for this population. It serves as both a comprehensive reference and a practical guide for improving diagnosis, patient care, survivorship, and reducing diagnostic delays.
The book seeks to answer a central question: How can we improve our understanding and treatment of breast cancer when it occurs at a younger age? Structured around key themes: epidemiology, molecular pathogenesis, risk factors, prevention, imaging, treatment, research priorities, and survivorship, it offers a detailed yet accessible resource for clinicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals. Topics such as fertility preservation, age-adapted therapies, and long-term quality of life highlight its relevance to real-world care and decision-making. The volume comprises 27 chapters by leading global investigators and contributors to the field, with a Foreword by Dr. Larry Norton of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, USA.
Offering a holistic perspective on the cancer journey of young women, this book is essential for clinicians, oncologists, surgeons, radiologists, genetic counsellors, public health professionals, researchers, trainees, students, and patient advocates. It sheds light on disparities, quality-of-life issues, and the urgent need for age-specific treatment protocols.
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Persons
Rakesh Kumar , PhD, is Founder and CEO of the Breast Cancer in Young Women Foundation, Denver; International Endowed Chair Professor at Swami Rama Himalayan University, India; Visiting Professor at Medanta Cancer Institute, India; Adjunct Professor at Rutgers NJ Medical School, Newark; and Visiting Professor at VCU Medical Center, Richmond, USA. Over a 40-year career, he has contributed to breast cancer research while serving as faculty, Distinguished Professor, Endowed Chair, Dept Vice-chair & Chair at leading US institutions, i.e., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center & MD Anderson Cancer Center, and as Govt of India National Chair for Cancer Research & Distinguished Professor. He has authored +325 papers & reviews, edited 10 books or volumes, given +300 invited lectures, served on +21 editorial boards and +100 peer panels (i.e., NIH, DoD, VA), mentored 67 trainees, globally ranked < 0.5% in oncology & carcinogenesis over 5 years, received many awards, and had work featured on the covers of 18 journals and two MDACC reports.
Samantha L. Heller , PhD, MD, FSBI, is Professor and Vice Chair of Academic Affairs in the Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, USA. Prior to this, she served as Division Head of Breast Imaging at NYU. Before joining NYU, she worked as a breast radiologist in the United Kingdom at St George's Hospital and in the South-West London Screening Service. Dr. Heller serves on the Editorial Board for RadioGraphics and is an Associate Editor for the Science of Screening Section of the Journal of Breast Imaging. She has chaired the Provider and Healthcare Systems Work Group for the CDC Advisory Committee on Breast Cancer in Young Women and is the Society of Breast Imaging lead for the American Society of Breast Surgeons-Society of Breast Imaging Benign Breast Disease Consensus Pathways Guidelines.
Ellen Warner
, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FACP, is Consulting Staff in the Division of Medical Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Senior Scientist Emerita at Sunnybrook Research Institute; and Professor of Medicine Emerita at the University of Toronto, Canada. A leading Toronto medical oncologist, she is dedicated to the care and research of women with breast cancer and those at high risk. After the discovery of BRCA1/2, she founded Toronto's first genetic testing program for breast cancer patients with strong cancer family histories. Recognizing mammography's limits in young mutation carriers, she led a landmark MRI screening trial published in JCO and JAMA, showing that MRI detected 90% of early-stage cancers and establishing annual MRI plus mammography for women with =20% lifetime risk. Her work led to the establishment of Ontario's High-Risk Breast Screening Program. In 2008, she co-founded PYNK: Breast Cancer Program for Young Women and helped lead the RUBY EOBC initiative. She retired from clinical practice in 2025 and remains active in research, teaching, and mentorship.
Luis Costa, MD, PhD
, is Chair of the Oncology Department at Hospital de Santa Maria, Medical Director of the Clinical Research Center of the Lisbon Academic Medical Center, Professor of Medicine at the University of Lisbon, and Translational Oncology Research Leader at the Gulbenkian Institute for Molecular Medicine in Lisbon. An internationally recognized medical oncologist and researcher, he specializes in metastatic cancer, particularly bone metastases and breast cancer. He pioneered the clinical use of biochemical markers of bone turnover to monitor treatment response and prognosis in metastatic bone disease, helping redefine skeletal-related events and contributing to the development of bisphosphonates and RANK-ligand inhibitors. His work also advances research on therapeutic resistance, triple-negative disease, and resistance to CDK4/6 & HER2-targeted therapies. Author of 200+ publications, he leads phase I-III trials and serves in major national & international oncology roles. His work also advances research on therapeutic resistance, triple-negative disease, and resistance to CDK4/6 & HER2-targeted therapies. Author of 200+ publications he leads phase I-III trials and serves in major national & international oncology roles.
Content
1. Deciphering Early-Onset Breast Cancer: Trends, Biological Drivers, and New Opportunities to Advance Biology and Intervention.- 2. Hereditary and Genetic Factors in Young Women with Breast Cancer.- 3. Tumor biology, molecular signatures, and outcome of young patients.- 4. Screening and surveillance methods for young women at high risk: conventional modalities.- 5. Artificial Intelligence in Early Breast Cancer Detection.- 6. MammoWave: a novel breast test for young women using radiofrequency signals.- 7. Breast Cancer in Young Women: Gaps in Screening, Risk Stratification, and Opportunities for Early Detection.- 8. Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Staging, and Screening during Pregnancy and Lactation.- 9. Gynaecologist's role in early detection of breast cancer in young patients.- 10. Breast Cancer in Young Patients: Histopathologic and Molecular Characteristics with Clinical Implications.- 11. Surgical management in younger breast care patients: Breast Conserving vs Mastectomy.- 12. Surgical Management of the Axilla in Young Women.- 13. Breast reconstruction in young patients.- 14. Fertility preservation and pregnancy after breast cancer.- 15. Current and emerging genomic platforms for optimizing systemic adjuvant therapy of BCYW.- 16. Hormonal Treatment of Hormone Receptor-Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Breast Cancer in Young Women.- 17. Treatment of HER2-Positive Breast Cancer in Young Women.- 18. Systemic Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.- 19. Predicting and monitoring treatment response in young women with breast cancer.- 20. Breast Cancer During Pregnancy: Diagnosis, Multidisciplinary Management, and Maternal-Fetal Outcomes.- 21. Oligometastatic Breast Cancer In Young Women: Integrating Biology, Imaging, And Personalized Management.- 22. The Psychosocial Impact of Early-Onset Breast Cancer on Young Women and Their Families.- 23. Toxicity and Long-Term Side Effects of Treatments in Young Women with Breast Cancer.- 24. Sexuality and sexual health after breast cancer.- 25. Managing Treatment-Induced Menopause, Fertility, and Long-Term Health in Young Women with Breast Cancer.- 26. Financial toxicity of breast cancer care among young adults.- 27. Family legacies: Family dynamics and communication in early-onset hereditary breast cancer.