Facts and Figures about Breast Cancer

• Breast cancer incidence in women has increased from 1 in 20 in 1960 to 1 in 8 today (about 12%).
  
• In 2008, an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, along with 67,770 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 40,480 women are expected to die in 2008 from breast cancer, though there has been a decrease in death rates since 1990. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advancements, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
  
• For women in the United States, breast cancer death rates are higher than any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
  
• Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. More than 1 in 4 cancers are breast cancer.
  
• White women, over the age of 40, have a higher rate of breast cancer than African American women over the age of 40. However, African American women under the age of 40 have a higher breast cancer rate than white women under the age of 40, and are more likely to die from this disease.
  
• As of 2007, there are about 2.5 million American women who have survived breast cancer.
  
• A woman’s risk of breast cancer approximately doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. About 20% – 30% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have a family history of breast cancer.
  
• About 5-10% of breast cancers are caused by inherited gene mutations.
  
• Mutations of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are the most common. Women with this mutation have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, often at a younger age. An increased ovarian cancer risk is also associated with these genetic mutations.
  
• The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are gender (being a woman) and age (growing older).

Source: American Cancer Society