Dr. Diana Zuckerman Statement to CDC Advisory Committee On Breast Cancer in Young Women

August 23, 2022

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to provide this statement on behalf of the National Center for Health Research. We are a nonprofit research center, and our largest program is focused on cancer prevention and treatment. I previously worked at the White House office of Science and Technology Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. House and Senate, Harvard, and Yale. I am also a breast cancer survivor.

Today I want to mention an issue that hasn’t been talked about: fear. Research shows that many young women are disproportionately afraid of breast cancer and that young breast cancer survivors are more afraid of recurrence than older survivors. I encourage you to think of what we can do together to help reduce that fear so that young women don’t let their fear overwhelm them as they become aware of and educated about their risks as well as their prevention and treatment options.

Despite their fear, few women of any age know that diet and exercise help prevent breast cancer. You’ve heard today that alcohol increases the risk of breast cancer, but did you know that drinking more than 3 alcoholic beverages per week can raise the risk of breast cancer? We all know young women who drink much more than that. We should also educate young women about the link between cancer and ultra-processed foods – I’m not just talking about the usual culprits, I’m talking about sauces and many other prepared foods that we assume are healthy when we buy them at the supermarket. In addition, being overweight or obese also increases the risk of breast cancer and of recurrence, because fat cells make more estrogen. We should be educating young women about these strategies for reducing their risks, since these are changes they can control.

Research shows that more women undergo mastectomies and bilateral mastectomies in the U.S. than most comparable countries. And yet, research shows that early-stage breast cancer patients who undergo lumpectomy (BCT) and radiation live longer with better quality of life than early-stage mastectomy patients, and a study of more than 23,000 young women with early-stage breast cancer found that the 10-year survival rate was at least as good for BCT plus radiation as for mastectomy. Research is needed to see how outcomes vary among women with specific demographic traits and risk factors, but the research available thus far is reassuring. On a personal note, as a professional in the field, I was shocked when my breast surgeon repeatedly urged me to consider a bilateral mastectomy for Stage 1 breast cancer. I had heard from many other women who had similar experiences. I am sure women who aren’t experts in the field, and especially young women, are being influenced by that kind of pressure.

In addition to all the other important issues raised by this committee today, I want to add that we should make sure that young women understand the difference between lifetime risk of breast cancer and their annual risk of developing breast cancer. And the difference between DCIS and invasive breast cancer. Educating young women can help reduce their fear and help enable them to take the time they need to advocate for themselves based on the information needed to make the treatment decisions that are best for them.

One last suggestion: We’ve heard many great ideas today about the information that primary care physicians, OB/GYNs, and the public need to know about young women and breast cancer, as well as prevention and treatment strategies. Wouldn’t it be great if CDC put together an education campaign on some of these key issues, to be shown on TV so it reaches a large audience?