Breast cancer death rates in the US have dropped by 44% since 1989. That’s not a coincidence. For 40 years, Breast Cancer Awareness Month has helped raise awareness of breast cancer across the nation. It has encouraged millions to take action, resulting in increased early detection and advancements in treatment that have saved more than half a million lives.
Breast cancer is the most common type of non-skin cancer in women in the United States. Notably, it accounts for about 30% of all new cancer cases in women. It is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer death in American women. In the United States, about one in eight women—about 13%—will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.
Breast cancer can develop in different parts of the breast. Cancers that arise in the milk ducts are called ductal carcinomas and represent the majority of breast cancer cases. Cancers that form in the breast lobules are known as lobular carcinomas and are more likely than ductal carcinomas to be present in both breasts. Another type of breast cancer, known as inflammatory breast cancer, can cause the breast to look swollen and appear pink, reddish purple, or bruised.
Risk factors:
Like most cancers, the risk of breast cancer increases with age. Additional risk factors include exposure of breast tissue to estrogen made by the body; presence of dense breast tissue; early or late onset of menstruation; older age at first birth or having never given birth; the use of hormones for symptoms of menopause; drinking alcohol; obesity; and not getting enough exercise.
Hereditary breast cancer makes up 5% to 10% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Women who have mutations in certain genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, can have a higher level of risk.
Breast cancer in men:
Men can also get breast cancer. An estimated 2,800 men are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, and about 510 are estimated to die of the disease. Radiation exposure, high levels of estrogen, and a family history of breast cancer can increase a man’s risk of the disease.
