Although Breast Cancer Awareness month is officially over, it is never too late to learn about Breast Cancer and what you can do to detect it early.

What you need to know about Breast Cancer:

Almost 1 in 8 U.S. women and 1 in 833 U.S. men will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

  • 281,550 cases of invasive breast cancer are estimated to be diagnosed in women in 2021.

 

  • For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.

 

  • Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2021, it’s estimated that about 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.

 

  • In women under 45, breast cancer is more common in Black women than white women. Overall, Black women are more likely to die of breast cancer. For Asian, Hispanic, and Native-American women, the risk of developing and dying from breast cancer is lower. Ashkenazi Jewish women have a higher risk of breast cancer because of a higher rate of BRCA mutations.

 

  • A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (mother, sister, daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Less than 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.

 

  • 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.

 

  • The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are sex (being a woman) and age (growing older).

How to detect breast cancer early:

  • According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, adult women of all ages should perform monthly breast self-exams.

 

  •  Johns Hopkins Medical center states that “forty percent of diagnosed breast cancers are detected by women who feel a lump, so establishing a regular breast self-exam is very important.”

 

  • While mammograms are important for detecting Breast Cancer early, self-exams help you become familiar with how your breasts look and feel, allowing you to notice and alert your doctor of any changes.