Fast Facts

Not counting some kinds of skin cancer, breast cancer in the United States is—

• The most common cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity.
• The most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women.
• The second most common cause of death from cancer among white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women.¹

In 2005 (the most recent year numbers are available)—

• 186,467 women and 1,764 men were diagnosed with breast cancer.
• 41,116 women and 375 men died from breast cancer.¹

If you want to know more about breast cancer numbers, visit Statistics.

Can Men Get Breast Cancer?

Men can also get breast cancer. In men, breast cancer can happen at any age, but is most common in men who are between 60 and 70 years old. Male breast cancer is not very common. For every 100 cases of breast cancer, less than 1 is in men.

For men, signs of breast cancer and treatment are almost the same as for women. For more information, visit the National Cancer Institute (NCI) – General Information About Male Breast Cancer.

Reference

¹U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2005 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2009. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.