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What is my lifetime risk of developing breast cancer?
Today, approximately 1 in every 8 women in the United States will develop
breast cancer in her lifetime. The 1 in 8 figure means that, if current rates
stay constant, a female born today has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast
cancer sometime during her life. On the other hand, she has a 7 in 8 chance of
never developing breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer
among American women. Over the past 50 years, the number of women diagnosed with
the disease has increased each year.
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in women – second
only to lung cancer – and is the leading cause of cancer death among women
ages 35 to 54. This year, 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and
approximately 43,500 will die. Although these numbers may sound frightening,
research reveals that the mortality rate could decrease by 30 percent if all
women age 50 and older in need of a mammogram had one.
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