How Many Women Are Affected By Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Survival Rates By Stage And Age

The relative 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is 91%. This means that those who have breast cancer are, on average, 91% as likely as those who dont have the disease to live for at least 5 years after their diagnosis. The survival rate is an estimate across the population, and an individuals chance of survival is dependent on their specific characteristics and the nature of the tumour, such as the stage of the breast cancer at diagnosis, the age, gender and the subtype of the breast cancer .

The 5-year survival rate for Stage 1 breast cancer is, on average, 100% and Stage 2 is 95%. For locally advanced cancers the survival rate is 81%, while the 5-year survival rate for Stage 4 is significantly lower at 32%.

The 5-year survival rate also differs depending on the age group. For those aged over 85, the 5-year survival rate is 75%, while for those between 40 and 44 years of age it is 93%.

While the 5-year survival rate post-diagnosis is 91%, the survival rate 10 years after diagnosis of breast cancer is 86%.

Incidence And Survival Rates

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, with nearly 1.7 million new cases diagnosed in 2012, representing about 25 per cent of all cancers in women. Incidence rates vary widely across the world, from 27 per 100,000 in Middle Africa and Eastern Asia to 92 per 100,000 in Northern America. It is the fifth most common cause of death from cancer in women, with an estimated 522,000 deaths . It is also the most frequent cause of cancer death in women from regions characterised by lower indices of development and/or income , and the second most frequent from regions characterised by higher indices of development and/or income , after lung cancer.

Breast cancer risk doubles each decade until the menopause, after which the increase slows. However, breast cancer is more common after the menopause. Studies of women who migrate from areas of low risk to areas of high risk show that they assume the rate in the host country within one or two generations. This shows that environmental factors are important in the development of the disease.

The cancer statistics quoted in the Third Expert Report are from the GLOBOCAN 2012 database. The International Agency for Research on Cancer updated these statistics in September 2018, after the publication of the Third Expert Report. Find the latest breast cancer statistics.

Women Under 35 Face Higher Risk Of Breast Cancer Spreading Study

Analysis of 400 studies found risk of secondary cancer ranges from 6% to 22% depending on different factors

Women diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 35 face a higher risk of it spreading, according to the first global study of its kind.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer, with 2.3 million people diagnosed every year. Survival rates are generally good, which is largely because of screening, early diagnosis and improved treatment.

However, until now, little has been known about the risk of secondary breast cancer, where the disease spreads to other parts of the body and becomes incurable.

A meta analysis of more than 400 studies has found the risk of breast cancer spreading to another part of the body ranges from 6% to 22%. The results of the study are being presented at the sixth International Consensus Conference for Advanced Breast Cancer .

The findings also suggest certain women face a higher risk, including those diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 35, those with larger tumours when initially diagnosed and those with specific types of the disease, for example luminal B.

Kotryna Temcinaite, senior research communications manager at the charity Breast Cancer Now, said the analysis provides helpful insight into who is most at risk.

Secondary breast cancer can develop many years after an initial cancer diagnosis, so its vital that we understand it better and find new ways to prevent it.

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For More Information See Breast Cancer On The Ncci Website

The National Cancer Control Indicators are a set of indicators across the continuum of cancer care, from Prevention and Screening through to Diagnosis, Treatment, Psychosocial care, Research and Outcomes. The NCCI website allows users to see visual representations of data on each indicator through interactive charts.

Breast Cancer Incidence Rates Over Time

In the 1980s and 1990s, the rate of breast cancer incidence rose, largely due to increased mammography screening .

The rate of breast cancer incidence declined between 1999 and 2004 . This decline appears to be related to the drop in the use of menopausal hormone therapy after it was shown to increase the risk of breast cancer .

Mammography screening rates also fell somewhat in the early 2000s. However, studies show the decline in the rate of breast cancer incidence during this time was not likely due to the decline in screening rates .

From 2012-2016, the overall breast cancer incidence rate increased slightly . This may be due, in part, to an increase in body weight and a decline in the number of births among women in the U.S. over time .

Trends in incidence rates may be different among some groups of women.

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Facts About Breast Cancer In The United States

• In 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. as well as 49,290 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer.
• 63% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage , for which the 5-year survival rate is 99%.
• This year, an estimated 43,600 women will die from breast cancer in the U.S.
• Although rare, men get breast cancer too. In 2021, an estimated 2,650 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year in the U.S. and approximately 530 will die.
• 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. It is estimated that in 2021, approximately 30% of all new women cancer diagnoses will be breast cancer.
• There are over 3.8 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.
• On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States.

Metastatic Breast Cancer At Diagnosis

Most often, metastatic breast cancer arises months or years after a person has completed treatment for early or locally advanced breast cancer.

Some people have metastatic breast cancer when they are first diagnosed. This is called de novo metastatic breast cancer. In the U.S., 9 percent of men have metastases when they are first diagnosed with breast cancer .

Learn more about metastatic breast cancer.

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How Common Is Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It is about 30% of all new female cancers each year.

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2021 are:

• About 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
• About 49,290 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ will be diagnosed.
• About 43,600 women will die from breast cancer.

Breast cancer mainly occurs in middle-aged and older women. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 62. This means half of the women who developed breast cancer are 62 years of age or younger when they are diagnosed. A very small number of women diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 45.

Breast Cancer Statistics In Young Adults

Although breast cancer in young adults is rare, more than 250,000 living in the United States today were diagnosed under age 40. In young adults, breast cancer tends to be diagnosed in its later stages. It also tends to be more aggressive. Young adults have a higher mortality rate. As well as a higher risk of metastatic recurrence .

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Trends In Breast Cancer Deaths

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The chance that a woman will die from breast cancer is about 1 in 39 .

Since 2007, breast cancer death rates have been steady in women younger than 50, but have continued to decrease in older women. From 2013 to 2018, the death rate went down by 1% per year.

These decreases are believed to be the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments.

Living With Breast Cancer

Being diagnosed with breast cancer can affect daily life in many ways, depending on what stage it’s at and the treatment you will have.

How people cope with the diagnosis and treatment varies from person to person. There are several forms of support available, if you need it.

Forms of support may include:

• family and friends, who can be a powerful support system
• communicating with other people in the same situation
• finding out as much as possible about your condition
• not trying to do too much or overexerting yourself
• making time for yourself

Find out more about living with breast cancer.

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Breast Cancer Facts & Figures

The National Breast Cancer Coalition is a grassroots organization dedicated to ending breast cancer through action and advocacy. The following are a few statistics that speak to the need to end this deadly disease.

You can also download a PDF of the 2021 Facts & Figures here.

In 2020 there were 684,996 deaths from breast cancer globally. .

In 2021, it is estimated that 43,600 women and 530 men will die of breast cancer. .

Interactive Statistics With Seer*explorer

With SEER*Explorer, you can…

• Create custom graphs and tables

SEER*Explorer is an interactive website that provides easy access to a wide range of SEER cancer statistics. It provides detailed statistics for a cancer site by gender, race, calendar year, age, and for a selected number of cancer sites, by stage and histology.

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Does Pregnancy Affect The Risk Of Other Cancers

Research has shown the following with regard to pregnancy and the risk of other cancers:

• Women who have had a full-term pregnancy have reduced risks of ovarian and endometrial cancers. Furthermore, the risks of these cancers decline with each additional full-term pregnancy.
• Pregnancy also plays a role in an extremely rare type of tumor called a gestational trophoblastic tumor. In this type of tumor, which starts in the uterus, cancer cells grow in the tissues that are formed following conception.
• There is some evidence that pregnancy-related factors may affect the risk of other cancer types, but these relationships have not been as well studied as those for breast and gynecologic cancers. The associations require further study to clarify the exact relationships.

As in the development of breast cancer, exposures to hormones are thought to explain the role of pregnancy in the development of ovarian, endometrial, and other cancers. Changes in the levels of hormones during pregnancy may contribute to the variation in risk of these tumors after pregnancy .

Lifestyle Obesity And Stress

Alcohol increases lifetime breast cancer risk by around a tenth per drink per day for the period during which drinking occurs. Active smoking, but not passive smoking, also increases risk by about a fifth especially in younger women.

Caffeine may be mildly protective and chocolate appears safe in moderation. This is provided consumption does not lead to substantial weight gain, as obesity has repeatedly been shown to increase breast cancer occurrence by about a fifth, especially in post-menopausal women.

This may be because fatty tissues produce oestrogen. Also, obese women have higher insulin levels, another hormone that can lead to breast cancer. Those developing full diabetes in later life, when insulin levels are usually very high, are at an even higher risk a two-fifths increase.

Read more:How obesity causes cancer, and may make screening and treatment harder

Contrary to popular belief, sugar itself does not appear to directly affect risk in moderation. However, too much sugar may increase risk indirectly through obesity, which can then cause diabetes.

Exercise substantially reduces the chance of a breast cancer diagnosis, although how this works is not yet understood. The duration rather than intensity appears important, with three hours of moderate aerobic exercise weekly reducing breast cancer risk by about a fifth. Exercise also improves survival after breast cancer.

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Findings On Premenopausal Breast Cancer

There is strong evidence that:

• undertaking vigorous physical activity DECREASES the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• being overweight or obese in young adulthood DECREASES the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• being overweight or obese in adulthood before the menopause DECREASES the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• breastfeeding DECREASES the risk of breast cancer in the mother
• consuming alcoholic drinks INCREASES the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• being tall INCREASES the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• greater birthweight INCREASES the risk of premenopausal breast cancer

There is some evidence that:

• consuming non-starchy vegetables might decrease the risk of oestrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer
• consuming foods containing carotenoids might decrease the risk of breast cancer
• consuming dairy products might decrease the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• diets high in calcium might decrease the risk of premenopausal breast cancer
• being physically active might decrease the risk of premenopausal breast cancer

What Is The Average American Womans Risk Of Being Diagnosed With Breast Cancer At Different Ages

Many women are more interested in the risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer at specific ages or over specific time periods than in the risk of being diagnosed at some point during their lifetime. Estimates by decade of life are also less affected by changes in incidence and mortality rates than longer-term estimates. The SEER report estimates the risk of developing breast cancer in 10-year age intervals . According to the current report, the risk that a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer during the next 10 years, starting at the following ages, is as follows:

• Age 30 . . . . . . 0.49%
• Age 40 . . . . . . 1.55%
• Age 50 . . . . . . 2.40%
• Age 60 . . . . . . 3.54%
• Age 70 . . . . . . 4.09%

These risks are averages for the whole population. An individual womans breast cancer risk may be higher or lower depending on known factors, as well as on factors that are not yet fully understood. To calculate an individual womans estimated breast cancer risk, health professionals can use the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool, which takes into account several known breast cancer risk factors.

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Dairy Meat And Vegetables

There is a widespread concern that elements of the modern diet add to breast cancer risk. But the belief that preservatives and pesticides are major contributors has never been confirmed.

Similarly, no risk increase has been found for people consuming dairy products. Eating meat appears to cause little or no risk. But the fifth of the population eating the highest levels of red or processed meats have a 25% higher risk of breast cancer than the fifth who eat the least and appear to have increased rates of other cancers. This is probably because processing causes small amounts of cancer-causing toxins to form in the meat.

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There is some limited evidence that eating more fish reduces breast cancer risk. This may be due to the protective effect of omega-3 fats. And there is relatively strong proof that vegetable consumption lessens risk, although how this works is not known.

Despite much being said about the protective powers of super veggies, such as kale, broccoli, tomatoes and strawberries, there is so far no evidence they are really better than others. Similarly, organically grown vegetables do not give greater protection than those grown in the usual way.

What Causes Breast Cancer In Your 20s And 30s

Breast cancer happens when cells in the breast begin to grow and multiply abnormally. Changes in DNA can cause normal breast cells to become abnormal.

The exact reason why normal cells turn into cancerous cells is unclear, but researchers know that hormones, environmental factors, and genetics each play a role.

Roughly 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are linked to inherited gene mutations. The most well known are breast cancer gene 1 and breast cancer gene 2 .

If you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, your doctor may suggest testing your blood for these specific mutations.

In some cases, breast cancer in your 20s and 30s has been found to differ biologically from the cancers found in older women.

For example, younger women are more likely to receive a diagnosis of triple-negative and HER2-positive breast cancers than older women.

more likely in adolescent and young women than in older women who have a diagnosis of early stage breast cancer.

Metastatic breast cancer means that the cancer has advanced to stage 4. It has moved beyond the breast tissue into other areas of the body, such as the bones or the brain.

Survival rates are lower for cancer that has metastasized to other parts of the body.

According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year survival rate for women with breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body is 28 percent for all ages.

However, some signs and symptoms of breast cancer may

• changes in the skin

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