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11 Facts About Breast Cancer

In the US, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

Welcome to DoSomething.org, a global movement of millions of young people making positive change, online and off! The 11 facts you want are below, and the sources for the facts are at the very bottom of the page. After you learn something, Do Something! Find out how to take action here.

  1. In the US, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.^[BreastCancer.org. "U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  2. The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are being female and aging. About 95% of all breast cancers in the US occur in women 40 and older.^[BreastCancer.org. "Breast Cancer Risk Factors." Web Accessed October 1, 2019. Susan G. Komen. “Age: Breast Cancer in Women.” Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  3. Women who get regularly screened for breast cancer have a 47% lower risk of dying from the disease compared to those who don’t.^[American College of Radiology. "New Study Cements Fact That Mammography is a Primary Factor in Reduced Breast Cancer Deaths" 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  4. Breast cancer deaths have been declining since 1990 thanks to early detection, better screening, increased awareness, and new treatment options.^[National Cancer Institute. "Cancer Statistics." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  5. Each year it is estimated that over 220,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die.^[BreastCancer.org. "U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  6. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the US and the first leading cause of cancer death among women globally.^[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Basic Information About Breast Cancer." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  7. In the US today, there are more than 3.5 million breast cancer survivors — the largest group of all cancer survivors.^[Miller, Kimberly D. et al. "Cancer Treatment and Survivorship Statistics, 2019." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  8. Every 2 minutes, a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer in the US.^[Susan G. Komen Foundation. "Breast Cancer Facts Sheet." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  9. Every minute, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer. That’s more than 1,400 women every day.^[Susan G. Komen Foundation. "Breast Cancer Facts Sheet." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  10. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.^[BreastCancer.org. "U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics." 2019. Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
  11. Each year, it’s expected that about 2,670 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the US, and about 500 will die.^[American Cancer Society "Key Statistics for Breast Cancer in Men." Web Accessed October 1, 2019.]
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