The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2000 approximately 184,200 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States. Among women of all ages, breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the leading cause of cancer related deaths in women. Fortunately, the breast cancer mortality rate, a measure of breast cancer deaths per 100,000 women, has been decreasing during the past decade. The reasons for this decline include increased screenings, leading to the detection of cancer at an earlier stage, and more effective treatments that have been developed.
All women are at risk for developing breast cancer.
Women at a higher risk are those with a family history of breast cancer, a personal history of breast cancer, early menarche or late menopause, or a first full-pregnancy after age 30. The risk of developing breast cancer also increases with age. Long-term estrogen therapy, a high fat diet, and alcohol use have been reported as possible risk factors, but the extent of their relationship to the onset of breast cancer remains unclear. Early Detection With modern technology, breast cancer can often be detected at a very early stage of development, when the chance for a cure is highest. The key to a cure is early detection and prompt treatment.