The more you know about this disease, including preventative and early screening measures, the better control you can have over your total health. Each year, more than 180,000 women in the United States learn they have breast cancer. The number of cases per 1,000 women has increased slightly every year over the last 50 years. Women who die of breast cancer lose an average of 20 years of life.
Every woman is at risk for breast cancer.
Regular screening and early detection through self-breast exams, doctor's breast exams and mammography can prevent about a third of the deaths from breast cancer. Almost 1,900 new breast cancer cases were diagnosed in Arkansas in 1997.