New Report: More Young Ladies Have Advanced Breast Cancer

Okay ladies, we have to get serious for a minute. You might not have seen it but there was a new report out today that showed a rising rate of advanced breast cancer in young women (ages 25 to 39) in recent decades.

The report found that between 1976 and 2009, the rate of metastatic breast cancer (which spreads to distant organs like bones or the brain) in this age group had increased by roughly 2 percent each year, according to a story in Yahoo! News.

It's a small increase but it means about 1.4 more cases per 100,000 people over the time period with no signs of slowing down. In other words, young women are facing advanced breast cancer in numbers they hadn't in the past.

This is near and dear to The Pink Event® 2013. Our annual women-focused expo---held on March 10 (12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Columbia, Md.---promotes breast cancer and domestic violence awareness. 

That's why our charity partner is the Tigerlily Foundation. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Tigerlily Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, advocating for, and providing hands-on services and support to young women (ages 15 to 40) who are affected by breast cancer. 

We mentioned earlier this week that Tigerlily Foundation Founder Maimah Karmo will be at The Pink Event to share her experiences as a breast cancer survivor. She also will speak about her new book, “Fearless: Awakening to My Life’s Purpose through Breast Cancer,” with attendees during an exclusive book signing at the expo.

Tigerlily Foundation is a community partner with For 3 Sisters, a breast cancer awareness organization featuring The Pink Fireman (who also will be at The Pink Event).  

Breast cancer in young women is less common than it is in older women, according to the Yahoo! News article. But that doesn't mean women can afford to dismiss the risks. Learn more about The Pink Event and please take care of yourself.