Breast Cancer in the US in 2008

Same facts about breast cancer, from today's Miami Herald

• An estimated 182,460 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in women; 1,990 in men.

• A woman has a 12 percent risk -- about 1 in 8 -- of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.

• The five-year survival rate for breast cancer, if caught before it spreads beyond the breast, is 98 percent, compared with 74 percent in 1982.

• There are almost 2.5 million breast cancer survivors today.

• Between 5 to 10 percent of breast cancers are due to heredity. The most significant risks are being female and getting older.

• One woman dies of breast cancer every 13 minutes. An estimated 40,480 women and 450 men will die from the disease this year.

• African/American women are less likely than whites to survive five years: 77 percent vs. 90 percent, respectively.

• Breast cancer is second to lung cancer in cancer deaths among women.

Source: Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society

PREVENTION TIPS

• Experts recommend monthly breast self-exams. If you discover a lump or notice a change, see a doctor right away.

• Beginning at 20, women should have mammograms every three years -- every year if you are over 40.

• If you're concerned about your risks, ask your doctor about genetic testing and other screening tests, like an MRI or ultrasound.