breast cancer by the numbers

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed forms of cancer in the world. There have been great strides made in research and treatment for the disease in recent years, though the number of women (and men) battling breast cancer is still astounding.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the most shocking numbers surrounding breast cancer to help keep you informed.

• About 12 percent of women will develop an invasive form of breast cancer in their lifetime.

• There are more than 250,000 new cases of breast cancer expected to be diagnosed each year—63,410 additional cases are diagnosed as noninvasive forms of breast cancer.

• More than 2,500 new cases of breast cancer were predicted to be diagnosed in men in 2016.

• Although incidents of death have decreased, breast cancer is still projected to kill an astounding 40,610 women in the US each year.

• More than 2 million women in America have suffered from breast cancer—including women currently treated and those who have finished treatment.

• Despite popular belief, more than 85 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer had no family history of the disease.

• Only 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to genetic mutation—BRCA1 and BRCA2 are the most common genes linked to breast cancer.

• With advances and awareness of screening technology, rates of breast cancer among women under 50 have been decreasing steadily in the last two decades.

• If a woman has an immediate relative (e.g. mother, sister) diagnosed with breast cancer, the likelihood she will also be diagnosed doubles.

• If you have been previously diagnosed with breast cancer, you are 3 to 4 times more likely to be diagnosed again.

• Women who have not had a child, or have had a child after the age of 30, are more likely to develop breast cancer than women who had children at an earlier age.

• Being a woman, and being older than 50 are the two greatest risk factors for developing breast cancer.

All of these facts can be found at www.breastcancer.org.