Author: Centenary Communications

• Approximately 1 in 8 women (13%) in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their life. While advances in screening and treatment have reduced the overall risk of death from the disease, the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer continues to rise.
• Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the U.S. Each year, about 32% of all newly diagnosed cancers in women are breast cancer.
• In 2025, approximately 316,950 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, with 59,080 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is non-invasive.
• About 16% of women with breast cancer are younger than 50 years of age.
• About 66% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage — before cancer has spread outside of the breast — when treatments tend to work better.
• Female breast cancer incidence rates have been slowly increasing since the mid-2000s, largely driven by diagnoses of localized-stage and hormone receptor-positive disease.
• There are currently more than four million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
• About 42,170 women will die from breast cancer in 2025.
• Less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men.
• Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group.
• Black women have 5% lower breast cancer incidence than white women, but they have a 38% higher risk of dying from the disease.
• Black men have the highest incidence of male breast cancer and death.
•  If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, your prognosis is your doctor’s estimate of your future health after treatment.
• Breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. climbed from 2012 to 2021. The rate increased by 1% overall, with the highest increases in women younger than 50 years old. Researchers believe that some of the rising cases of breast cancer may be due to people getting less physical activity, drinking alcohol, and having fewer kids.
• By choosing the healthiest lifestyle options possible, you can empower yourself and make sure your breast cancer risk is as low as possible.

Breast Cancer Risk Factors

• SEX
• AGE (About two out of three invasive breast cancers are found in women 55 or older).
• FAMILY HISTORY (Women with close relatives — especially sisters, mothers, or daughters — who have been diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease).
• GENETICS (About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are thought to be hereditary, caused by abnormal genes passed from parent to child).
• PERSONAL HISTORY OF BREAST CANCER
• RADIATION TO THE CHEST OR FACE BEFORE THE AGE OF 30
• CERTAIN BREAST CHANGES
• RACE/ETHNICITY (Black women are more likely to develop more aggressive).
• BEING OVERWEIGHT
• PREGNANCY HISTORY
• BREASTFEEDING HISTORY (Breastfeeding can lower breast cancer risk, especially if you breastfeed for longer than one year).
• MENSTRUAL HISTORY (Women who had their first period before they turned 12).
• USING HRT (HORMONAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY)
• USING HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL
• DRINKING ALCOHOL
• DENSE BREAST
• LACK OF EXERCISE
• SMOKING (Younger, pre-menopausal women).
• LOW VITAMIN D LEVELS
• LIGHT EXPOSURE AT NIGHT
• DES (DIETHYLSTILBESTTROL) EXPOSURE
• EATING UNHEALTHY FOOD (Responsible for about 30% to 40% of all cancers).
• EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS IN HAIR DYES AND STRAIGHTENERS, COSMETICS, FOOD, LAWN AND GARDENS, PLASTICS, SUNSCREEN OILS, WATER, WHEN FOOD IS FRILLED/PREPARED
• EXPOSUR TO HIGH LEVELS OF FINE PARTICLEAIR POLLUTION (dust, dirt and smoke)