Oct. 1 marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, putting a spotlight on the second most common cancer diagnosed among women.
Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in the United States, aside from skin cancer, with more than 320,000 new invasive cases expected each year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Diagnosis rates have risen with a 1% increase per year in recent years, ACS says.
About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. This year, it is estimated that over 380,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women, and roughly 42,000 will die, WXYZ reports.
While breast cancer affects women far more often, the disease can also occur in men. “One percent of breast cancer cases occur in men; it’s extremely rare,” Priya Thomas, breast oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, told ABC News.
The breast cancer death rate among U.S. women decreased by 44% from 1989 to 2024, preventing an estimated 500,000 to 517,900 deaths, according to ACS. “The decrease in breast cancer death rates is probably a combination of our screening advances, as well as advances in the treatments that we have for different subtypes of breast cancer,” Thomas said.
In the late 1970s, the five-year relative survival rate for women with invasive breast cancer was roughly 75%. As of 2022, it is above 90%, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Stage at diagnosis remains one of the biggest predictors of outcome. About 64% of cases are diagnosed at a localized stage, meaning the cancer has not spread beyond the breast. About 27% have spread to nearby lymph nodes or tissue, and about 6% are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. About 2% have an unknown stage, according to the NCI.
The burden of breast cancer is not shared equally. “Black women are more likely to develop triple-negative breast cancer, which can be a more aggressive subtype, and unfortunately they do have a higher breast cancer mortality rate,” Hannah Rose Naughton, breast surgical oncologist at Hackensack Meridian Health, told ABC News. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. The average age at breast cancer diagnosis in women is 63, according to the NCI. In men, the ACS reports the average age at diagnosis is between 60 and 70.
Experts say being aware of changes in your body is important. “If you feel a lump, if you notice a skin change, if you notice nipple discharge or any change that is different from your normal baseline, that warrants an evaluation by your provider,” Thomas said. “The most important message is that you shouldn’t ignore a change in your breast,” Naughton said.
To help people learn more about their cancer risk, the American Cancer Society has a new tool called CancerRisk360. It is a free online assessment for anyone 18 and older. It asks about personal and family health history, lifestyle and cancer screening history, then gives an action plan based on answers. While this can be helpful, it is not a substitute for talking with your doctor and getting personalized medical advice.
There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer, but steps can lower risk: maintain a healthy weight, stay physically active, avoid or limit alcohol and don’t smoke. Age-appropriate breast cancer screening is important. The most common is the mammogram, which can find breast cancer before symptoms appear, sometimes before a lump can be felt. “I still recommend yearly mammograms starting at age 40 for women at average risk,” Naughton said.
