WHAT DOES THE EARLY ACT DO?

Young women can and do get breast cancer.
In 2008, the American Cancer Society projected 182,460 new cases of breast cancer in females – it was estimated that 10,000 of these women would be under 40 years of age.
Although the incidence of young women with breast cancer is much lower than in older women, young women’s breast cancers are generally more aggressive and result in lower survival rates.
Certain ethnicities – including Ashkenazi Jews, and African American young women under the age of 40 – have an increased risk of breast cancer.
African American women have a higher incidence rate of breast cancer before age 40 than Caucasian women.
African American women of all ages have a higher mortality rate from breast cancer than Caucasian women.
African American women under 35 are more likely to have basal-like type breast cancer, which is a more aggressive form of breast cancer.
Ashkenazi Jewish women are more likely to have a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are 3 to 7 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women without alterations in those genes.
Women with an altered BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene also often develop breast cancer at a young age (before age 50).

The EARLY Act encourages women to be familiar with the look and feel of their breasts.
By knowing what feels normal, a young woman has a better chance of knowing when something feels different.
The EARLY Act also works to educate young women about changes in their body that could be warning signs of breast cancer – we want them to know that it doesn’t only start with a lump. It can be swelling, a rash, breast pain, nipple pain, redness or scaliness too.

The EARLY Act encourages young women to be their own voice, speak up for themselves, and know when they need to go to the doctor.
It arms them with the confidence to stand up to anyone who tells them "you are too young for breast cancer."
The EARLY Act also lets young women know that genetic counseling is available to them, and encourages them to inquire about these tests with their doctors.

The EARLY Act provides grants to organizations dedicated to supporting young women diagnosed with breast cancer.