Breast Cancer Cases/Deaths per Year (U.S. and World)

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today (after lung cancer) and is the most common cancer among women, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 million people will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year worldwide and over 500,000 will die from the disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that 180,510 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2007. Breast cancer death rates have been dropping steadily since 1990, according to the Society, because of earlier detection and better treatments. About 40,910 breast cancer deaths are expected in 2007.

According to the American Cancer Society, the chance that breast cancer will be responsible for a woman’s death is about 1 in 33 (3%). The incidence rate of breast cancer (number of new breast cancers per 100,000 women) increased by approximately 4% during the 1980s but leveled off to 100.6 cases per 100,000 women in the 1990s. The death rates from breast cancer also declined significantly between 1992 and 1996, with the largest decreases among younger women. Medical experts attribute the decline in breast cancer deaths to earlier detection and more effective treatments.

Incidence by Age

This risk model is based on population averages. Each woman’s breast cancer risk may be higher or lower, depending upon a several factors, including family history, genetics, age of menstruation, and other factors that have not yet been identified.

Probability of Developing Breast Cancer Within the Next 10 years
By age 20 By age 30 By age 40 By age 50 By age 60 By age 70 Lifetime	1 out of 1,985 1 out of 229 1 out of 68 1 out of 37 1 out of 26 1 out of 24 1 out of 8

Source: Among those cancer free at age interval. Based on cases diagnosed 2000-2002. “1 in” are approximates. Source: American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Facts & Figures, 2005-2006.

While breast cancer is less common at a young age (i.e., in their thirties), younger women tend to have more aggressive breast cancers than older women, which may explain why survival rates are lower among younger women.

Incidence by Ethnic Group

All women are at risk for developing breast cancer. The older a woman is, the greater her chances of developing breast cancer. Approximately 77% of breast cancer cases occur in women over 50 years of age.

According to the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute:

~ White, Hawaiian, and African-American women have the highest incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States (approximately four times higher than the lowest group).

~ Korean, American Indian, and Vietnamese women have the lowest incidence of invasive breast cancer in the United States.

~ African-American have the highest death rate from breast cancer and are more likely to be diagnosed with a later stage of breast cancer than White women.

~ In the age groups, 30-54 and 55-69 years, African-American women have the highest death rate from breast cancer, followed by Hawaiian women, and white non-Hispanic women. However, in the 70 year old age group, the death rate from breast cancer for white women is higher than for African-American.

Incidence Rates by Race
All Races White Black Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaska Native Hispanic	127.8 per 100,000 women 132.5 per 100,000 women 118.3 per 100,000 women 89.0 per 100,000 women 69.8 per 100,000 women 89.3 per 100,000 women

Source: National Cancer Institute, SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 2007. Statistics based on data, 2000-2004. See www.cancer.gov for more information.