Statistics About Breast Cancer

Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chances of getting cancer or being cured of it. However, statistics only show what happens to large groups of people. Because no two people are alike, you cannot use them to predict what might happen to you.

These statistics are from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2007.

• This year about 178,000 women in the United States will be told they have breast cancer. About 2,000 men will.

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.

• A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer increases as she gets older. The majority of new cases are in women age 50 and older.

• Having a mammography can find breast cancer at an early stage usually before symptoms occur. Many studies have shown that early detection saves lives. Plus, it increases the options for treatment.

• There are currently more than two million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

The following table presents statistics on a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer during her lifetime. “Lifetime” refers to the time between birth and 95 years.

Breast Cancer Lifetime Risks Table

(Courtesy of Journal of the National Cancer Institute)

The following table presents statistics on a woman’s lifetime risk for certain diseases.

Lifetime Risks Table

(Courtesy of Journal of the National Cancer Institute)