About 1 in 8 women in the United States (12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide.
Nearly 1.4 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer globally each year.
More than 458,000 people worldwide die from breast cancer each year.
Somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer every 69 seconds.
Over the last 25 years, breast cancer incidence rates have risen about 30 percent in westernized countries, although incidence rates decreased in the U.S. from 1999-2006 in part due to lower use of postmenopausal combined hormone use.
In 2010, an estimated 207,090 new cases of invasive breast cancer were expected to be diagnosed, along with 54,010 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer. About 39,840 women were expected to die in 2010 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.
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. African American women are also more likely to die from the disease.
As of 2010, there were more than 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.
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 (abnormal changes passed through families).
Mutations of the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes are the most common inherited genetic mutations. Women with this mutation have up to an 80% risk of developing breast cancer during their lifetime, often at a younger age than it typically develops. 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).
