Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in Brazil, behind only skin cancer, according to data from the National Cancer Institute (INCA). Factors such as overweight, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, alcohol consumption, late motherhood, and being over 40 are frequently associated with this diagnosis.
However, the experience of digital influencer and public relations specialist Leticia Prates demonstrates that the disease can affect young women outside traditional risk profiles. Letícia, who is also a teacher, reported being diagnosed at age 25 and emphasized that one in eight women has or will develop breast cancer, warning about the growing prevalence of the disease among young people.
Initially, her gynecologist, who had been monitoring Letícia since adolescence, did not consider the possibility of a tumor upon noticing a small alteration in her left breast, suggesting she was hypochondriacal. After much insistence from Letícia, surgery was performed to remove the lump, during which the pathologist identified it as cancer and requested specific tests. In fifteen days, the results confirmed invasive grade 2 carcinoma.
Letícia mentioned feeling great relief after removing the cancer, and soon underwent breast reconstruction. Despite losing part of her body at a young age, she advocates for the importance of maintaining self-esteem, stating that being attractive is a state of mind, not just a physical shape.
After undergoing multiple cycles of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and metastases in bones and lymph nodes, Letícia, currently 38 years old, declares herself fully recovered, attributing her condition to scientific advancements and the Unified Health System (SUS).
She highlights that currently, 95% of breast cancer cases are curable when detected early, offering a high probability of survival with current treatments. However, Letícia clarifies that cancer is a chronic disease, similar to diabetes or hypertension, and does not have a definitive cure; however, it is possible to keep it inactive for long periods by living healthily, as she does today, taking care of her diet and exercising.
The influencer emphasizes the relevance of self-breast examination for body awareness but warns that this procedure does not replace mammography or ultrasound, which should be done annually and should not wait until age 40.
The rapid increase in cancer diagnoses in young adults constitutes a global health alert. In several countries, individuals in their prime working years face the premature discovery of tumors. According to Oncoguia, there has been a 79% increase in new cancer cases diagnosed annually in people under 50 in the last 30 years. In Brazil, disease records among young people aged 18 to 50 rose by 284% in the last decade, according to data from the DataSUS Oncology Panel.
INCA projections indicate that the country should register 781,000 new annual cases, with a notable growth in intestinal, breast, prostate, and stomach tumors in younger age groups. This global escalation drives researchers to investigate modern habits, environmental exposures, and genetic mutations, aiming to anticipate prevention.
The increase in cases is strongly linked to recent lifestyle changes, such as the vast availability of ultra-processed foods, sedentary behavior, and the obesity epidemic, which promote chronic inflammation in the body. Maria Del Pilar Estevez Diz, a physician at Oncologia D’Or and coordinator of Clinical Oncology at ICESP, points out that Brazilian urban transformations since the 1950s have altered population exposure to harmful environmental agents, including endocrine disruptors present in plastics, hygiene products, and food, as well as microplastics that cause chronic inflammation.
Additionally, malnutrition, characterized by excessive consumption of sugary and fatty ultra-processed foods, combined with physical inactivity, creates a metabolic environment favorable to the emergence of tumors. Maria Pilar emphasizes that tumors appearing outside the usual age range tend to exhibit more challenging biological characteristics and a more aggressive behavior.
Although the response to chemotherapy is similar in various types of cancer, in breast cancer, faster and more aggressive subtypes are more frequent in young women. Reproductive changes, such as motherhood after age 35 and less breastfeeding, prolong estrogen exposure, while alcohol consumption and genetic mutations (BRCA1 and BRCA2) increase risks.
Letícia's journey illustrates medical evolution, as she achieved remission since February 2019, despite being diagnosed at stage 4. Her success in modern treatment, carried out with the guidance of Dr. Fernando Maluf, director of the Clinical Oncology Service at Hospital Beneficência Portuguesa and a member of the team at Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, reversed a condition considered incurable by medical literature.