Today is Day 4 for our Breast Cancer Awareness Week. Today I will inform you on certain facts and statistics of Breast Cancer.
Breast Cancer Statistics
Rates of breast cancer vary among different groups of people. Rates vary between women and men and among people of different ethnicities and ages. They vary around the world and across the U.S. This section provides an overview of breast cancer statistics for many populations.
Breast Cancer in the U.S.
In 2013, it is estimated that among U.S. women there will be:
- 232,340 new cases of invasive breast cancer (This includes new cases of primary breast cancer among survivors, but not recurrence of original breast cancer among survivors.)
- 64,640 new cases of in situ breast cancer (This includes ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), of those, about 85 percent will be DCIS. DCIS is a non-invasive breast cancer and LCIS is a condition that increases the risk of invasive breast cancer. Learn more about DCIS and LCIS.)
- 39,620 breast cancer deaths
Rates of breast cancer among women vary by:
Breast cancer in men is rare, but it does happen. In 2013, it is estimated that among men in the U.S. there will be:
- 2,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer
- 410 breast cancer deaths
Rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases, including new cases of primary breast cancer among survivors, but not recurrence of original breast cancer among survivors) and mortality (death) are much lower among men than among women. For example, in 2010 (most recent data available):
|
Men |
Women |
|
| Incidence (new cases) |
1.3 per 100,000 |
120.9 per 100,000 |
| Mortality (deaths) |
0.3 per 100,000 |
21.9 per 100,000 |
Survival rates for men are about the same as for women with the same stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis. However, men are usually diagnosed at a later stage because they are less likely to report symptoms. Learn more about the symptoms of breast cancer in men.
Treatment for men is the same as treatment for women and usually includes a combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and/or targeted therapy.
Rates of breast cancer over time
From the 1940s until the 1980s, the rate of new cases of breast cancer (called incidence) in the U.S. increased by a little over one percent each year. In the 1980s, incidence rose greatly (likely due to increased mammography screening), and then leveled off during the 1990s.
The incidence of breast cancer declined in the early 2000s. Although mammography screening rates fell somewhat over this same time period, studies show these changes were not likely related to the decline in breast cancer rates. The decline appears to be related to the drop in use of menopausal hormone therapy (postmenopausal hormone use) that occurred after the Women’s Health Initiative study showed its use increased the risk of breast cancer and heart disease.
Since 2005, the incidence of breast cancer has remained stable.
Mammography and rates of early detection over time
As mammography screening rates have increased, more cases of breast cancer have been found at earlier stages, when chances of survival are highest.
During the 1980s and 1990s, diagnoses of early stage breast cancer, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and conditions such as lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) increased greatly. Since the late 1990s, these rates have increased slightly. At the same time, diagnoses of advanced stage (metastatic) breast cancer have remained stable.
Race/Ethnicity and Breast Cancer rates over time
Over time, the incidence of breast cancer has been higher among white women than among black women.
Since the mid-1990s, mortality rates have declined for both white women and black women. However, mortality rates have declined more slowly among black women than among white women. So, despite incidence being higher for white women, mortality is higher for black women.
