A new study will investigate breast cancer in women younger than 45 years old, with the hope of improving treatment and reducing deaths.
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Data from the women will be used to guide the design of a tool to help predict development of the disease, and inform treatment decisions for young patients.
Led by the Breast Cancer Foundation and the Universities of Auckland and Otago, the researchers also plan to analyse hundreds of breast cancer tissue samples to look for molecular signatures and genetic mutations.
Breast cancer is the biggest cause of cancer-related deaths in women under 45 in New Zealand, with about 400 diagnosed every year, the Foundation said.
But this is the first time the cancer has been researched in younger women in New Zealand.
The study is called the Helena McAlpine Young Women's Breast Cancer Study, named after a media personality who became a spokeswoman for breast cancer awareness, and helped raise thousands of dollars for the foundation's research programmes, before her death from breast cancer in 2015, aged 37.
A scientist involved in the study, Dr Annette Lasham, is a senior research fellow in molecular medicine and pathology in the University of Auckland's faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
"Younger women diagnosed with breast cancer have poorer outcomes, and it's really important for us to understand why that is," she said.
"Because most women develop breast cancer when they are older than 45, most of our knowledge is based on older women. By gaining a fuller understanding of breast cancer in younger women, and being able to better predict outcomes for individual patients, we hope this research will result in fewer deaths."
The foundation's chief executive Evangelia Henderson said it hoped the research will transform the way younger patients are treated in New Zealand, allowing them access to more effective treatments, sooner.
One woman diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 this year, Miriam Fuimaono, said the research offers hope for young women facing a breast cancer diagnosis.
"I think for a lot of women it would lessen anxiety about the future, knowing they've had the best possible treatment for their specific case. No one wants to live every day with the thought of 'what if' hanging over their head, or the fear of recurrence."
"I was diagnosed at a point of my life where I was at my fittest and healthiest. It's been a surreal year, and I can't believe I've survived.
"It can be crippling for your quality of life, constantly looking over your shoulder. The mental and emotional impact of a breast cancer diagnosis can last a lot longer than the physical aspect, so anything to alleviate that part of it would give people hope."
Experts from the Waitemata and Canterbury District Health Boards - a pathologist and a medical oncologist - will also take part in the study.
The $600,000 research project will run over four years.