Because 182,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States, it's a subject worth learning about. A woman who lives to age 85 has a one out of eight risk of developing breast cancer sometime in her life.
Breast cancer can occur without any warning signs.
Progress has been made in treating breast cancer. Many women no longer lose a breast to this disease. In fact, today's generation of women have a better chance of surviving breast cancer and leading active lifestyles. Finding the disease early is the key to timely treatment. Women should learn how to do a breast self-exam once a month to detect changes that may signal a problem.