Skyrocketing rates in breast cancer cases in young women is making me feel like I can't trust my own body anymore (health anxiety)

[Nonoanddefintelyno]

It feels like every other day I'm hearing about another 23-30 year old woman who has been diagnosed. I havent officially been told that I have any increased risks or reasons for concern around being at a higher likelihood of getting it but now every time I get the smallest spot or dot on my breast or aerola it will send my health anxiety in overdrive. It also worries me that it feels like lots of young women aren't taken seriously when they go to their GP for possible signs of breast cancer, because some doctors still see it as being the case that as long as a woman is under 35 then they can't possibly get breast cancer. I also feel like because of my health anxiety, other family members wouldn't necessarily tell me if they did find a lump or another symptom, because they wouldn't want to worry me. But it seems like PCOS and inherited genes are the two main causes of breast cancer in 20s/early 30s. I havent been diagnosed with PCOS but my periods are irregular even though im 25 and ive been menstruating since i was 15, i get hair loss from my scalp, i have recently noticed lots of new acne and random whiteheads on my skin and ive never had sex but if i look in the mirror at my side profile, my stomach is so inflated and full that it literally balloons and swamps over my otherwise slim figure

Ive also read that having dense or bumpy breast tissue both puts you at more risk of getting breast cancer and also subsequently makes it harder to recognize a lump in the breast because an otherwise typically bumpy breast tissue structure can disguise sinister lumps or swellings

didn't we have this thread a few weeks ago?
DD is age 24 tells me everything & hasn't mentioned a single friend with such diagnosis. <shrug>

Sorry you have health anxiety.

You might want to pay for genetic screening to see what your individual risk profile might be for early onset breast cancer:

Genetics play a pivotal role when we speak of breast cancer incidence across different ages. Inherited mutations, particularly in genes like BRCA1 and BRCA2, have gained considerable attention. These mutations can dramatically increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer, often making their presence a focal point in discussions regarding younger patients. For instance, women carrying these mutations may be advised to begin screening at an earlier age than the general population. The prevalence of hereditary breast cancer varies significantly with age; younger women often have a higher percentage of cases attributed to genetic factors.

from: https://synthorum.com/articles/breast-cancer-incidence-by-age/

I’m in my 50s and known a few women who’ve had BC and apart from one, all have survived after surgery. I don’t know the circumstances of that person’s diagnosis though (she was a ‘school mum’ with a son in my DC class but was prob 40-odd on diagnosis).

Health anxiety is irrational though, I would advise getting therapy if it’s affecting you this badly. Also see GP re potential PCOS issues too.