Is it possible for a teen to get breast cancer?

Question

because i resently found a large lump in my breast...

like the size of a golfball.

i am 14 i have D b***s...

and i guess im slightly overweight.

not really FAT tho.

but is it possible that i could have beast cancer?

Answer 1

Lumpy b*****s are very common in girls and women. In most cases, breast lumps are not a sign of breast cancer. Teenagers, both girls and boys, will often feel a lump called an "adolescent nodule." An adolescent nodule is a sore, swollen spot just under the nipple that will go away without any medical intervention. Although breast cancer is very rare in teens, anytime you feel a lump it's a good idea to have it checked by your health care provider.

Answer 2

Adolescents and young adults can certainly have cancer in the breast location. The problem comes when the questions are asked on this forum . . because it is thought you are asking about an adult womans breast cancer. Adolescents and young adults have different types of cancer than older adults. And, cancer is considered rare in this age group so there is less information available.

Here is what is important in your question . . not the location . . or the comment if 'teens can get breast cancer' (yes, they can - statistics fall both ways and no one knows if you are in the minority of the statistic or not) . . what is important is that you have found an abnormally large lump in your breast that is the size of a golf ball. Any lump or bump that is painless and seems to be growing and located ANYWHERE on your body needs to be examined immediately.  This may not be breast cancer but it could be a soft tissue sarcoma that can arise in the location of the breast and chest area. DO NOT IGNORE THIS.

Teenagers and young adults not only get cancer, but are more likely to die from cancer because it is found too late.

Do not worry about the hereditary part . . that is just making the issue confusing. The most important thing for you to know is that it is not normal to have a golf ball sized lump in the breast . . go to your mother immediately and show her this . . you need to see a doctor as soon as possible.

Malignant breast cancer in children: a review of 75 patients.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18498...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/92128...

http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/20...

Answer 3

It's definitely possible for a teen to get breast cancer however it is very rare.  You should be giving yourself routine breast exams because all women have bumps (lymph nodes and such) in their b*****s to begin with and these are completely normal.  However, you should definitely go see a doctor just to make sure!  Rather be safe than sorry.

Answer 4

At 14 your chances of having breast cancer are close to zero; it's mainly a disease of ageing - 80% of those diagnosed are over 50, it's rare in women under 40 and almost unheard of in under 20s.

The American Cancer Society and other cancer organisations recommend that women begin regular breast self-examination at the age of 20; there's a reason for that.

Most breast lumps, even in women over 50, are not cancerous.

Your b*****s are still growing and developing, and what you describe is almost certainly hormonal.

As for cancer running in the family - hereditary cancer is rare; fewer than 10% of all cancer cases are due to hereditary factors. There may be several cases of cancer in your family history, but for there to be a likelihood of cancer being hereditary, several family members would have to have had the SAME type of cancer. If they all had different types of cancer, it's not hereditary, and you are not at increased riisk of getting cancer.

And only 5-10% of breast cancers are hereditary. You would only be at increased risk of breast cancer if one of your parents  had inherited one of the faulty genes responsible for hereditary breast cancer from one of their parents, in which case you would have a 50% chance of having inherited that gene.

So if there are a number of people in your immediate family who have had breast cancer , it may be that there is hereditary breast cancer in your family. Inheriting a faulty gene doesn't mean you would definitely get breast cancer, and in any case it would be unlikely to happen at your young age.

Sorry for the long answer, but there so many teenagers post on here terrified that they have breast cancer that I feel it's important to give the facts.

Talk to your mother about this - or if you feel you can't do that, talk to your school nurse if the lump is still there in a week or so. She will be used to hearing questions like this and will take you seriously, and will be able to advise you

Answer 5

it is possible. cancer is a rare disease, and very rare in children. you should see a doctor asap just to be sure