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Statistics

Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. Breast cancer is the number one cause of cancer death in Hispanic women. It is the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

In 2004 (the most recent year numbers are available),

• 186,772 women and 1,815 men were diagnosed with breast cancer*^†
• 40,954 women and 362 men died from breast cancer*^†

^†Source: U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 2004 Incidence and Mortality. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2007.

*Note: Incidence counts cover approximately 98% of the U.S. population and death counts cover 100% of the U.S. population. Use caution in comparing incidence and death counts.

Top 10 Causes of Death for Women in the United States^‡

The graph below shows how breast cancer compares to other common causes of death in women of all ages.

^‡Source: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (www.seer.cancer.gov) SEER*Stat Database: Mortality – All COD, Public-Use With State, Total U.S. (1969–2004), National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Program, Cancer Statistics Branch, released April 2007. Underlying mortality data provided by NCHS (www.cdc.gov/nchs).