Almost everyone is probably aware of breast cancer and that it affects thousands of women, but lesser known statistics might be surprising to some. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, but also occurs in men. The following statistics are from the American Cancer Society and the Center of Disease Control.
In women, breast cancer accounts for 1 out of every 4 diagnosis of cancer, making it the most common cancer of women. But, breast cancer also occurs in men. Men are at a much lower risk for developing breast cancer, but should report any breast changes to a doctor right away. Women are more likely to develop breast cancer with age. Women over 40 have a 97 percent increase in breast cancer risk. The average age of a women with breast cancer is 61 years old. White women are more likely to develop breast cancer after age 45, but African American women have a higher risk of developing breast cancer before age 45 and often die more often from breast cancer at every age.
Each year around 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed. And, every year about 40,000 women die from breast cancer. Men account for about one percent of all new cases of breast cancer, or about 2000 cases. Estimates put the number of surviving women with breast cancer at over 2 million, meaning more than 2 million women today survived and no longer have breast cancer. A women currently living in the United States has about a 12 percent chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer sometime in her lifetime. Of all breast cancer cases between 5 to 10 percent are thought to be from genetic causes, or because of family history.
Breast cancer is a huge issue for women today and is one of the top killers of women. Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer among women.