This year, an estimated 182,000 American women will develop breast cancer. This year, an estimated 1,400 American men will develop breast cancer. Breast cancer risk is higher among women whose close blood relatives have the disease.
Relatives can be from either mother or fathers side of the family.
Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer almost doubles a woman's risk. For all ages combined, white women are more likely to develop breast cancer than African-American women. However, among women younger than 50 years of age, African-American women are more likely to develop breast cancer than white women and die from the disease. Researchers speculate that the steady increase in breast cancer since 1940 may be due to the rising prevalence of associated risk factors. These factors include modern reproductive patterns of women having fewer children, and delaying first childbirth until a later age.