Breast cancer in the United States in 2008
Related Content
An estimated 182,460 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women; 1,990 in men.
A woman has a 12 percent risk -- about 1 in 8 -- of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
The five-year survival rate for breast cancer, if caught before it spreads beyond the breast, is 98 percent, compared with 74 percent in 1982.
There are almost 2.5 million breast cancer survivors today.
Between 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are due to heredity. The most significant risks are being female and getting older.
One woman dies of breast cancer every 13 minutes. An estimated 40,480 women and 450 men will die from the disease this year.
African/American women are less likely than whites to survive five years: 77 percent vs. 90 percent, respectively.
Breast cancer is second to lung cancer in cancer deaths among women.
Source: Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society
PREVENTION TIPS
Experts recommend monthly breast self-exams. If you discover a lump or notice a change, see a doctor right away.
Beginning at 20, women should have mammograms every three years -- every year if you are over 40.
If you're concerned about your risks, ask your doctor about genetic testing and other screening tests, like an MRI or ultrasound.















My Yahoo