- As of January 2019, there are more than 3.5 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment. *1
- About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations. *1
- About 41,760 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2019 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness. *1
- Death rates from female breast cancer dropped 40% from 1989 to 2016. Since 2007, breast cancer death rates have been steady in women younger than 50, but have continued to decrease in older women.*1
- If the cancer is located only in the breast, the 5-year survival rate of women with breast cancer is 99%. Sixty-two percent (62%) of cases are diagnosed at this stage. If the cancer has spread to the regional lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate is 85%. If the cancer has spread to a distant part of the body, the 5-year survival rate is 27%.*2
- Based on the most recent data, the 5–year, 10–year and 15–year survival rates for women diagnosed with breast cancer are 91%, 86% and 80% respectively. *3
- The overall 5-year relative survival rate is 99% for localized disease, 85% for regional disease, and 27% for distant-stage disease. *3
- Since 1975, the breast cancer 5-year relative survival rate has increased significantly for both black and white women. While a substantial gap remains, especially for late-stage diagnoses, the racial disparity seems to be narrowing. In the most recent period, the 5-year relative survival rate was 83% for black women and 92% for white women. *3
- Breast cancer death rates declined 40% from 1989 to 2017 among women. *4
*1 https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
*2 https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/statistics
*3 https://www.bcrf.org/breast-cancer-statistics-and-resources
*4 https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/facts-and-figures-2020.html