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Thanks for your post. At least one organization whole-heartedly agrees -- The Young Survival Coalition. Here are some barriers they claim prevent women under 40 from receiving proper diagnosis...

-- Many young women and their doctors are unaware that they are at risk for breast cancer;

-- There is no effective breast cancer screening tool for women 40 and under;

-- Young women are often diagnosed at a later stage than their older counterparts;

-- There is very little research or educational material focused on issues unique to this younger population, such as fertility, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, the impact of hormonal status on the effectiveness of treatment, psycho-social and long-term survivorship issues, and higher mortality rates for young women, particularly for African-Americans and Latinas;

--Young women diagnosed with breast cancer often feel isolated and have little contact with peers who can relate to what they are experiencing;

-- As the incidence of young women with breast cancer is much lower than in older women, young women are underrepresented in many research studies.

Based on this info, maybe it's time to reconsider the best time for testing.