Breast cancer rates increase among younger women Routine screening for breast cancer is offered to women aged 50 to 70 and, soon, also those in their late-40s. Photograph: Burger/Phanie/Rex Features A record number of women under 50 are being diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, a charity has warned. One in five breast cancer cases are now among women under the age of 50, says Cancer Research UK, whose research found that 10,068 women under the age of 50 in the UK were diagnosed with the disease in 2010 - 2,356 more than in 1995. The rise in diagnoses represents an 11% growth in incidence rates of breast cancer in women aged under 50 over the same period - from 38 per 100,000 women diagnosed in 1993-1995 to 42 women per 100,000 in 2008-2010. The charity suggested that growing alcohol consumption, the use of the contraceptive pill and women having fewer children and later in life could be contributing factors. But the death rate fell from nine per 100,000 women under 50 in 1993-1995 to five per 100,000 in 2008-2010 in the UK. Routine screening for breast cancer is now offered to women aged 50 to 70 but recent changes to the prevention programme will see those in their late-40s invited for check-ups. Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, said: "Breast cancer is more common in older women but these figures show that younger women are also at risk of developing the disease. Women of all ages who notice anything different about their breasts, including changes in size, shape or feel, a lump or thickening, nipple discharge or rash, dimpling, puckering or redness of the skin, should see their GP straight away, even if they have attended breast cancer screening. It's more likely not to be cancer but if it is, detecting it early gives the best chance of successful treatment. The number of cases in women under 50 diagnosed with breast cancer is increasing slowly but, thanks to research, awareness and improved care, more women than ever before are surviving the disease. Chris Askew, chief executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "These figures show that breast cancer still affects more and more families every year in the UK and the need for research into the disease remains vital. Although breast cancer is more common in older women, it's worrying to see an increase in the number of younger women diagnosed with the disease. We must invest in vital research for new treatments and disease prevention. Tara Beaumont, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, said: "We know from our users that being diagnosed with breast cancer as a younger woman can be an isolating experience and raises specific issues, such as the impact on fertility. Prompt detection of breast cancer can lead to more effective treatments so we encourage all women to be breast aware, getting to know what is normal for them so they can spot and report any unusual changes to their GP immediately. There were 49,564 women of all ages diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 in the UK, up from 37,107 women in 1995. The five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with breast cancer in England between 2005 and 2009 was 83.5% for females aged 15-39 and 89.1% for females aged 40-49.