It has been announced today that the number of women developing breast cancer could rise to one in seven by 2024 unless better treatments are found and lifestyle changes made. This has been revealed in a new study that has taken place and means that around 4,000 extra deaths will result if current trends continue.

The study found that the risk to women who carry gene mutations which can lead to the disease has increased dramatically in the last 60 years. One in 10 women in the UK currently develop breast cancer by the age of 80, but researchers now fear that this may increase to one in seven within the next 16 years.

The study showed that women carrying faults in the high-risk genes born prior to 1920 only had a 7.5% chance of breast cancer by 40 years of age and that women born after 1960 had a risk of up to 40%.

Prof Evans said that the rising trend could be reversed by altering lifestyle. He recommended that women should plan families earlier, avoid long-term use of female hormones in contraceptives and HRT, and have a healthy lifestyle by exercising and maintaining a healthy weight.

What do you make of this new study?

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