Statistics About Breast Cancer
Some people use statistics to try to figure out their chances of getting cancer or being cured of it. Statistics, though, only show what happens to large groups of people. No two people are alike. So you can’t use them to predict what might happen to you.
These statistics are from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Facts and Figures 2008.
- This year about 182,480 women in the U.S. will be told they have breast cancer. There will also be 40,480 cancer-related deaths.
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.
- A woman’s risk for breast cancer goes up as she gets older. The majority of new cases are in women age 50 and older.
- A mammography can find breast cancer at an early stage. It can usually find it before symptoms occur. Many studies show that early detection saves lives. Plus, it increases the options for treatment.
The table below shows a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer during her lifetime. “Lifetime” means the time between birth and 95 years.
Breast Cancer Lifetime Risks Table
| Age | Risk |
|---|---|
| 25 | 1 in 19,608 |
| 35 | 1 in 622 |
| 45 | 1 in 93 |
| 55 | 1 in 33 |
| 65 | 1 in 17 |
| 75 | 1 in 11 |
| 85 | 1 in 9 |
| 85 and older | 1 in 8 |
(Courtesy of Journal of the National Cancer Institute)
The next table shows a woman’s lifetime risk for certain diseases.
Lifetime Risks Table
| Disease | Lifetime Risk |
|---|---|
| Heart Disease | 1 in 2 |
| Diabetes | 1 in 3 |
| Alcoholism | 1 in 3 |
| Stroke | 1 in 5 |
| Breast Cancer | 1 in 8 |
(Courtesy of Journal of the National Cancer Institute)
To find out what your potential risk is for cervical or other cancers, go to the WCN Risk Assessment Tool.