The American Cancer Society’s estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2024 are:
• About 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
• About 56,500 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will be diagnosed.
• About 42,250 women will die from breast cancer.
Breast cancer mainly occurs in middle-aged and older women. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 62. This means half of the women who developed breast cancer are 62 years of age or younger when they are diagnosed. A very small number of women diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 45.
Lifetime chance of getting breast cancer
Overall, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13%. This means there is a 1 in 8 chance she will develop breast cancer. This also means there is a 7 in 8 chance she will never have the disease.
Trends in breast cancer incidence
In recent years, incidence rates have increased by 0.6% per year. The rise in incidence rates is a little steeper in women younger than 50 (1.0%).
Trends in breast cancer deaths
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. (Only lung cancer kills more women each year.) The chance that any woman will die from breast cancer is about 1 in 40 (about 2.5%).
•The ACR recommends annual mammography screening starting at age 40 for women of average risk of developing breast cancer
•According to National Cancer Institute data, since mammography screening became widespread in the mid-1980s, the U.S. breast cancer death rate has dropped 38 percent
• 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime
• 8 out of 9 women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history
• But with early detection, the fiver year survival rate is almost 100%
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. (Only lung cancer kills more women each year.) The chance that any woman will die from breast cancer is about 1 in 40 (about 2.5%)
Additional Resources
Mammography Screenings
Should I get Screened?
Screenings for High Risk Patients
Mammography Guidelines
