Yearly breast cancer cases in under-50s tops 10,000

The number of UK women under 50 diagnosed with breast cancer each year has reached the 10,000 milestone for the first time.

Cancer Research UK's latest figures show that 10,068 women below this age were found to be suffering from the disease in 2010, up considerably from 7,712 women in 1995.

It means that one in five breast cancer cases now affect under-50s, with the rise in the number of younger women diagnosed reflecting an overall increase in cases of the disease among the entire population.

Contributing factors include increasing alcohol intake, more frequent use of contraceptive pills and hormonal factors relating to having fewer children and later in life.

Sara Hiom, Cancer Research UK's director of health information, said: "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."

In 2010, 49,564 women and 397 men in the UK were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, resulting in just under 12,000 deaths.