Former Beauty Queen Diagnosed With Breast Cancer at 33: Why Younger Women Are At Risk?

A former Miss Universe hopeful has revealed a breast cancer diagnosis at 33. Beauty queen and social media influencer Jaylene Álvarez broke the devastating news to her 15,000 Instagram followers, opening

up about the battle she never expected to face. Five years after she placed second at the Miss Puerto Rico contest, Álvarez said the diagnosis changed her life. “I Was Given a Diagnosis, not a Destiny,” she wrote. Writing in Spanish, she continued, “I'm not saying this out of fear, but from a place of truth and strength ... Having a face-to-face encounter with death and saying, 'Not me, not now, not yet,' is a moment for which no one can prepare you, but it is precisely there that you discover how powerful, strong, and resilient you are,” she added.

Felt a lump

Unfortunately, for Álvarez, cancer is not an unfamiliar territory, as several members of her family have battled the disease before. Despite that, nothing could prepare her for when she discovered a lump. “I felt the lump myself – I was the one who discovered the cancer,” she revealed. “I must emphasise that, at first, I overlooked it. Shortly after she felt the lump was only increasing in size, Álvarez went for a check-up. Despite her family history, Jaylene admitted she was completely taken aback when doctors confirmed the diagnosis. “I’m currently a breast cancer patient, which is common among women,” she said. “However, for a young woman, it isn’t, right?” She is now undergoing chemotherapy and has been forced to wear a wig as a result of treatment. However, her cancer has not spread anywhere else in the body.

Why are younger women at risk?

Breast cancer, known as the disease of older age, is now seeing a growing number of cases being diagnosed in women under 40 years, and even in their 20s and 30s. While younger women still account for a smaller proportion of overall cases, doctors say breast cancer in this age group is often more aggressive and diagnosed later, making awareness extremely crucial. One of the main reasons why younger women are at risk is genetics. According to a Harvard study, inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2 significantly increase the likelihood of developing breast cancer at an early age. Women with a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer are especially vulnerable and may develop the disease decades earlier than average. Hormonal factors also play a role, as early onset of menstruation, late or no pregnancies, and prolonged exposure to estrogen increase lifetime breast cancer risk. Modern lifestyle trends like delayed childbirth may also partly explain the rising incidence in younger women. Doctors say lifestyle-related risks like obesity, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, poor diet, and chronic stress are all linked to higher breast cancer risk. Sedentary routines and high stress levels, increasingly common among younger women, may contribute over time.Also read: Breast Cancer Deaths in India Remain Alarmingly High; Novartis ‘Take Charge’ Aims to Change That

Dense breast tissue is a concern

Among younger women who are diagnosed with breast cancer, dense breast tissue is a major factor, which not only raises cancer risk but also makes tumours harder to detect. As a result, symptoms may be missed or dismissed, leading to delayed diagnosis. Importantly, breast cancer in younger women often behaves differently, as it can be hormone-negative or triple-negative, subtypes that tend to grow faster and require aggressive treatment. Since doctors do not usually recommend routine screening for women under 40, early detection depends heavily on awareness.