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Breast Cancer Facts & Statistics
Women living in North America have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, except for nonmelanoma skin cancers. The chance of developing breast cancer at some time in a woman's life is about 1 in 7.
It is estimated that in 2006 about 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States. Carcinoma in situ (CIS) accounts for about 61,980 new cases each year. CIS is noninvasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer.
Breast cancer also occurs in men. An estimated 1,720 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2005.
Female breast cancer rates have continued to increase, although at a slower rate than in years past. The ACS says the increase may be due to screening using mammography. The increase in female breast cancer, may also reflect increased use of hormone replacement therapy and/or increased prevalence of obesity.
Seventy percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors. More than 80 percent of breast lumps are benign (not cancerous).
The risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases for women whose mother, sister, daughter or two or more close relatives have had the disease. It is important to know how old they were at the time they were diagnosed.
Women who begin menstruating before age 12 are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. The more menstrual cycles a woman has over her lifetime, the more likely she is to get the disease.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, exceeded only by lung cancer. In 2006, about 40,970 women and 460 men will die from breast cancer in the United States. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women 40-55 years of age.
Death rates from breast cancer have been declining. These decreases are believed to be the result of early detection and improved treatment.
The Good News: There are Over 2 Million Breast Cancer Survivors in the United States.
