It occurs rarely in men. Both its cause and the means for its cure are undiscovered. More than 1.6 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for African-American women, and for all women between the ages of 35 and 54. This year, a breast cancer will be newly diagnosed every three minutes, and a woman will die from breast cancer every 12 minutes.
Every woman is at risk for breast cancer.
The risk of developing breast cancer increases as a woman ages, if she has a family history of breast cancer, has never had children or had her first child after age 30. Breast cancer cannot be prevented, but it can be detected at an early, treatable stage. Regular screening mammography should begin by age 40 and annually after age 50. Regular breast examinations by a medical professional are a required complement to screening mammography. Many breast irregularities are found by women themselves.