Abstract
Breast cancers (BCs) diagnosed at ages < 55 years account for > 50,000 cases annually in the U.S., and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive BC rates are rising in this group (SEER.Cancer.gov). A study including >18,000 early onset BCs found that BC incidence transiently spikes in the years following childbirth, peaking at 5 years, and further elevated by late age at first birth and/or a family history of BC. Late age at first birth, an established BC risk factor, has increased dramatically in the U.S, likely contributing to rising BC rates. Understanding the etiology of “postpartum BCs” is critical for prevention but this requires a sea change in thinking.
About the Speaker
Dr. Mark Sherman
Professor, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Epidemiology, and Cancer Biology
Mayo Clinic
Mark E. Sherman, M.D., employs molecular pathology and epidemiologic study designs to evaluate the etiology, behavior and consequences of gynecological cancers, breast cancers and their precursors in diverse populations.
