BREAST CANCER FACTS 2022

The two main risk factors for beeast cancer are: Being female and Aging

Statistics

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer for American women except skin cancer, and the overall cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 20 and 39.

In the United States, one in 8  women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.

An estimated 276, 480  new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur in women in 2020, with an estimated 48,530 additional cases of in-situ (non-invasive) breast cancer.

64% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at localized stage for which the 5-year survival is 99%. There are more than 2.4 million women in the United States with a history of breast cancer. 42,170  or 1 in 39 women (3%) will die.  But there are 3.8 million survivors in the USA.

In the United States, breast cancer is expected to be newly diagnosed every three minutes, and a woman will die from breast cancer every 13 minutes.

Breast cancer in men

Though rare, 2,620 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, in men in 2020. 520 will die. Black men have the highest breast cancer incidence over all, Hispanic men have the lowest. Median age of diagnosis for men in the U.S. is 68 years old.

Breast cancer in ethnic groups

African American women have a higher breast cancer death rate than women of any other racial or ethnic population.

American Indian/Alaska Native females have the lowest breast cancer incidence rates.

Breast cancer and age

The risk of breast cancer increases with age: About 18 percent of diagnoses are among women in their 40’s and 77 percent of women with breast cancer are older than 50 when they are diagnosed.

White women have a higher incidence of breast cancer than African American women after age 40, while Africa American women have a slightly higher incidence rate before age 40.

Risk and recurrence of breast cancer

Postmenopausal women with early breast cancer are at their greatest risk of disease recurrence during the first five years after diagnosis.

The absolute number and percentage of recurrences in the first five years after surgery is much highest than the following five to 10 years.

Treatment received during these first five years is paramount in combating the disease.

Early Detection

One of the earliest signs of breast cancer can be an abnormality that shows up on a mammogram before it can be felt. The most common signs of breast cancer are a lump in the breast, abnormal thickening of the breast, or a change in the shape or color of the breast. Finding a lump or change in your breast does not necessarily mean you have breast cancer. Additional changes that may also be signs of breast cancer include:

Any new, hard lump or thickening in any part of the breast/and armpit.

Change in size or shape.

Dimpling or puckering of the skin.

Swelling, redness or warmth that does not go away.

Pain in one spot that does not vary with your monthly cycle.

Pulling in of the nipple, nipple discharge that starts suddenly and appears only in one breast.

An itchy, sore or scaling area on one nipple.

It is important for women to practice the elements of good breast health. It is suggested women obtain regular mammography screening starting at the age of 45, or earlier if you have a family history.

Obtain annual clinical breast exams, perform monthly breast-self exams and obtain a risk assessment from a physician.

This information was acquired from the American Cancer Society, 1-800-ACS-2345. Or www.cancer.org.