For some young women, a breast cancer diagnosis may come with a frightening term – advanced breast cancer (also known as denovo metastatic breast cancer). This is where previously undiagnosed breast cancer has spread to other areas of the body, such as the bones, lungs or liver. Research has found that younger women with denovo metastatic breast cancer tend to do better than their older counterparts, and this may be due to their better tolerance to different lines of treatment. While advanced breast cancer may not be curable, it is highly treatable, particularly in young women who tend to respond well to many different lines of treatment including novel therapies.

Pregnancy associated breast cancer (PABC) refers to breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, lactation, or postpartum years. There is evidence that breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is different from that diagnosed postpartum when it comes to prognosis and the biology of the cancer. Although this is a fairly rare type of breast cancer, currently there is an increasing trend in PABC.