An analysis of articles in publications such as Redbook, Glamour, Time, Ebony and The New York Times Magazine finds only 14 percent of the stories informed readers that the risk of breast cancer rises with age.
Many articles describe the personal experiences of breast-cancer survivors.
Forty-seven percent of the stories featured women who developed cancer before age 40. Such stories create unnecessary fears among younger women, says Dr. Wylie Burke, a physician and medical historian who led the research. Popular press stories about breast cancer also might mislead older women, making them think they have a lower risk for the disease when, in fact, they should be most vigilant, Burke says. Scientists have identified two genes that increase the risk for early breast cancer in women. However, only about 10 percent of women have a genetic predisposition to the disease.