Breast cancer is common.
About one in 13 Australian women develop breast cancer at some time in their lives, and about one in 25 Australian women die because of breast cancer. Breast cancer in Australia and elsewhere is becoming more common. The lifetime risk was 1 in 17 only 20 years ago. Breast cancer can occur at any age, but it is far more common in older women than younger women. The average age at which breast cancer is diagnosed is 64.