Breast cancer in the United States affects people across ages, and outcomes vary by tumor biology, screening access, and treatment choices. On this page, explore major subtypes (invasive ductal, invasive lobular, and DCIS) and how markers like ER, PR, and HER2—and triple-negative disease—shape prognosis. You’ll also review survival rates and the role of screening mammography, plus key hormone and targeted therapies used for specific tumor types.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, an estimated 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in 2023
- In the United States, an estimated 43,700 deaths from breast cancer were projected for 2023
- In the United States, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 91% (diagnosed 2014–2020)
- The most common type of breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma, accounting for 70% to 80% of cases
- Invasive lobular carcinoma accounts for 10% to 15% of invasive breast cancers
- Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for about 20% of new breast cancer diagnoses in the United States
- Screening mammography can detect breast cancer before symptoms
- The USPSTF recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74
- The USPSTF recommends screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74 with individual decision-making
- Tamoxifen is typically used for ER-positive breast cancer
- Aromatase inhibitors are used in postmenopausal patients with ER-positive breast cancer
- Trastuzumab is a targeted therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer
- The proportion of breast cancers that are ER-positive is about 70%
- The proportion of breast cancers that are PR-positive is a substantial fraction
- HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for about 15%–20% of cases
In 2023 the US projected 297,790 new invasive cases and 43,700 deaths, while 5 year survival reaches 91%.
Related reading
01 · Category
Incidence & Mortality30 stats
01
In the United States, an estimated 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in 2023https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
02
In the United States, an estimated 43,700 deaths from breast cancer were projected for 2023https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
03
In the United States, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 91% (diagnosed 2014–2020)https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
04
In the United States, the 5-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer is 99%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
05
In the United States, the 5-year relative survival rate for regional breast cancer is 86%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
06
In the United States, the 5-year relative survival rate for distant breast cancer is 30%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
07
In the United States, breast cancer is estimated to account for 30% of all new cancer cases in womenhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
08
In the United States, breast cancer is estimated to account for 28% of new cancer cases among womenhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
09
In the United States, an estimated 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer over the course of her lifetimehttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
10
In the United States, an estimated 1 in 42 women will die of breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
11
In the United States, breast cancer accounts for about 15% of all cancer deaths in womenhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/key-statistics.html
12
The age-adjusted incidence rate of female breast cancer in the United States (all races) was 128.9 per 100,000 in 2020https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
13
The age-adjusted incidence rate of breast cancer in the United States (all races) was 131.8 per 100,000 in 2019https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
14
The age-adjusted incidence rate of breast cancer in the United States (all races) was 127.5 per 100,000 in 2021https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
15
The age-adjusted mortality rate of breast cancer in the United States (all races) was 23.1 per 100,000 in 2020https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
16
The age-adjusted mortality rate of breast cancer in the United States (all races) was 22.9 per 100,000 in 2019https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
17
The age-adjusted mortality rate of breast cancer in the United States (all races) was 22.4 per 100,000 in 2021https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
18
In the United States, about 63% of breast cancers are diagnosed at the localized stagehttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
19
In the United States, about 30% of breast cancers are diagnosed at the regional stagehttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
20
In the United States, about 6% of breast cancers are diagnosed at the distant stagehttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
21
In the United States, about 1% of breast cancers are diagnosed at an unknown stagehttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
22
In the United States, in 2023, an estimated 55,720 new cases of in situ breast cancer (DCIS) were expectedhttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
23
In the United States, in 2023, an estimated 4,640 deaths were expected from breast cancerhttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
24
Breast cancer incidence rates in the United States are higher in Black women than in White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
25
In the United States, breast cancer death rates are higher for Black women than for White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
26
In the United States, breast cancer survival is higher for White women than for Black womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
27
Globally, there were 2.3 million new cases of breast cancer in 2020https://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
28
Globally, there were 685,000 deaths from breast cancer in 2020https://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
29
In 2020, breast cancer had the highest number of new cancer cases among cancershttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
30
In 2020, breast cancer was the second-leading cause of cancer death worldwidehttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
Interpretation
Incidence & Mortality Interpretation
In the United States, breast cancer incidence and mortality remain high, with an estimated 297,790 new invasive cases and 43,700 projected deaths in 2023, even though 5 year survival drops sharply from 99% for localized disease to 30% for distant disease.
report visual · Comparison
5-year Relative Survival by Stage (Breast Cancer, US; Diagnosed 2014–2020)
Survival declines sharply with spread: localized cases lead at 99%, while distant cases are much lower at 30%, creating a 69-point gap between leader and lowest stage.
99% 5-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer in the United States (diagnosed 2014–2020)99%
86% 5-year relative survival rate for regional breast cancer in the United States (diagnosed 2014–2020)
86%
30% 5-year relative survival rate for distant breast cancer in the United States (diagnosed 2014–2020)
30%
source-verifiedseer.cancer.gov2014
02 · Category
Risk, Genetics & Subtypes30 stats
01
The most common type of breast cancer is invasive ductal carcinoma, accounting for 70% to 80% of caseshttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/types-of-breast-cancer.html
02
Invasive lobular carcinoma accounts for 10% to 15% of invasive breast cancershttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/types-of-breast-cancer.html
03
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for about 20% of new breast cancer diagnoses in the United Stateshttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/types-of-breast-cancer.html
04
Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for about 10% to 20% of all breast cancershttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/risk-and-breast-cancer
05
HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for about 15% to 20% of breast cancershttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/risk-and-breast-cancer
06
Hormone receptor–positive (ER-positive and/or PR-positive) breast cancer makes up about 70% of breast cancershttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/risk-and-breast-cancer
07
Luminal A breast cancer is the most common molecular subtype, accounting for 30% to 60% of caseshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-subtypes-pdq
08
Luminal B breast cancer accounts for 10% to 20% of caseshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-subtypes-pdq
09
HER2-enriched breast cancer accounts for about 10% to 15% of caseshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-subtypes-pdq
10
Basal-like breast cancer overlaps with triple-negative breast cancer and is associated with higher relapse riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-subtypes-pdq
11
BRCA1 mutations account for about 45% to 65% of hereditary breast cancershttps://www.cdc.gov/genomics/education/learn/online/module-2/lesson4.html
12
BRCA2 mutations account for about 25% to 35% of hereditary breast cancershttps://www.cdc.gov/genomics/education/learn/online/module-2/lesson4.html
13
About 5% to 10% of breast cancers are hereditary, often linked to gene mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-fact-sheet
14
Women with a BRCA1 mutation have about a 65% lifetime risk of developing breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-fact-sheet
15
Women with a BRCA2 mutation have about a 45% lifetime risk of developing breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-fact-sheet
16
Lifetime risk of breast cancer for women with both BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations is higherhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-fact-sheet
17
A first-degree relative with breast cancer increases riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-risk-fact-sheet
18
Having a mother, sister, or daughter with breast cancer nearly doubles riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-risk-fact-sheet
19
Risk increases with age; the majority of breast cancers occur after age 50https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/breast-cancer/about/how-common-is-breast-cancer.html
20
The median age at diagnosis of breast cancer in the US is 62https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
21
Men account for about 1% of all breast cancer caseshttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
22
Approximately 99% of breast cancer occurs in womenhttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
23
Having a first period before age 12 is a risk factor associated with increased breast cancer riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-risk-fact-sheet
24
Having menopause after age 55 is a risk factor for increased breast cancer riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-risk-fact-sheet
25
Not having children or having first child after age 30 increases riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-risk-fact-sheet
26
Breastfeeding for at least 6 months is associated with reduced breast cancer riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-risk-fact-sheet
27
Alcohol consumption increases risk; even 1 drink per day is associated with increased riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet
28
Overweight and obesity after menopause increase breast cancer riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/obesity-fact-sheet
29
Physical activity reduces risk of breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/physical-activity/physical-activity-fact-sheet
30
Women who took hormone therapy (combined estrogen and progestin) have increased breast cancer riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/hormones/hormone-therapy-fact-sheet
Interpretation
Risk, Genetics & Subtypes Interpretation
Within the Risk, Genetics & Subtypes category, hormone receptor–positive tumors dominate at about 70% of breast cancers while the major breast cancer forms are split across invasive ductal carcinoma at 70% to 80% and invasive lobular carcinoma at 10% to 15%, with triple-negative (10% to 20%) and HER2-positive (15% to 20%) representing substantial but smaller genetic and subtype groups.
03 · Category
Screening & Diagnosis30 stats
01
Screening mammography can detect breast cancer before symptomshttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
02
The USPSTF recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening
03
The USPSTF recommends screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74 with individual decision-makinghttps://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening
04
The USPSTF recommendation specifies biennial screening mammography (every 2 years) for average-risk women aged 40 to 74https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening
05
For women at high risk, screening with MRI and mammography may be recommended annuallyhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/risk-assessment/screening
06
The American Cancer Society recommends that women at high risk get a breast MRI and a mammogram every yearhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-cancer-early-detection-guidelines.html
07
The American Cancer Society recommends that average-risk women start annual mammograms at age 45https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-cancer-early-detection-guidelines.html
08
The American Cancer Society recommends annual mammograms at age 45 to 54https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-cancer-early-detection-guidelines.html
09
The American Cancer Society recommends mammograms every year or every 2 years at age 55 and olderhttps://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/screening-tests-and-early-detection/breast-cancer-early-detection-guidelines.html
10
Breast self-exam is not recommended as a screening test by USPSTF for all womenhttps://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening
11
Clinical breast exam is not recommended as a screening test by USPSTF for average-risk womenhttps://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breast-cancer-screening
12
For high-risk women, MRI screening is recommended in addition to mammographyhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
13
Diagnostic mammography is used to evaluate abnormal screening mammogram resultshttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
14
Ultrasound can be used to evaluate lumps or abnormal mammogram findingshttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
15
Breast MRI is used to evaluate some abnormal mammogram results and for high-risk screeninghttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
16
The sensitivity of mammography varies by age and breast densityhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
17
In the US, about 50% of women have dense breast tissuehttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
18
Dense breast tissue is associated with higher risk of breast cancer and reduced mammography sensitivityhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
19
Breast biopsy is required to confirm diagnosis of breast cancerhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/diagnosis.htm
20
Core needle biopsy is often used to obtain tissue samples for diagnosishttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/diagnosis.htm
21
Fine needle aspiration may be used in some cases to sample fluid or tissuehttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/diagnosis.htm
22
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is used to stage early breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/lymph-node-sentinel
23
Axillary lymph node dissection is used in some cases when more extensive nodal surgery is neededhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/lymph-node-sentinel
24
PET/CT may be used to evaluate spread in some cases of breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/tests/pet-ct
25
Stage determines treatment and prognosishttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging
26
TNM staging uses tumor size, lymph node involvement, and metastasishttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging
27
Breast cancer can be staged from 0 to IVhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/staging
28
Grade describes how abnormal the cancer cells look under a microscopehttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
29
Tumor markers (ER, PR, HER2) help guide treatment decisionshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-types
30
ER-positive tumors have estrogen receptors on cancer cellshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-types
Interpretation
Screening & Diagnosis Interpretation
For the Screening and Diagnosis angle, the guidance is centered on biennial screening mammography for average-risk women aged 40 to 74, while women at high risk may need annual MRI plus mammography.
More related reading
04 · Category
Treatment & Clinical Outcomes30 stats
01
Tamoxifen is typically used for ER-positive breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
02
Aromatase inhibitors are used in postmenopausal patients with ER-positive breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
03
Trastuzumab is a targeted therapy for HER2-positive breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast-h2
04
Pertuzumab is used with trastuzumab for HER2-positive breast cancer in some settingshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast-h2
05
CDK4/6 inhibitors (e.g., palbociclib, ribociclib, abemaciclib) are used in HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-cancer-tdqc
06
Everolimus is used with exemestane for certain HR-positive metastatic breast cancershttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-cancer-tdqc
07
PARP inhibitors (e.g., olaparib) are used in some patients with germline BRCA-mutated HER2-negative metastatic breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-germline
08
Chemotherapy is used in many subtypes, including triple-negative breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
09
Radiation therapy is used after breast-conserving surgeryhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
10
Mastectomy is an option for breast cancer treatment in certain caseshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
11
Sentinel lymph node biopsy is often used to assess axillary nodeshttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/lymph-node-sentinel
12
Overall survival varies strongly by stage at diagnosishttps://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
13
In the US, 5-year relative survival for localized breast cancer is 99%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
14
In the US, 5-year relative survival for regional breast cancer is 86%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
15
In the US, 5-year relative survival for distant breast cancer is 30%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
16
In the US, 5-year relative survival for all breast cancer is 91%https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html
17
Neoadjuvant therapy is treatment given before surgery in some caseshttps://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/neoadjuvant-therapy
18
Pathologic complete response (pCR) can predict improved outcomes in some cancers after neoadjuvant therapyhttps://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/pathologic-complete-response
19
For HR-positive metastatic breast cancer, endocrine therapy is a primary treatment approachhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
20
For HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, anti-HER2 therapy is centralhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast-h2
21
For triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, chemotherapy is often usedhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/triple-negative-breast-cancer-treatment
22
Immunotherapy (e.g., pembrolizumab) can be used for some PD-L1–positive advanced triple-negative breast cancerhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/triple-negative-breast-cancer-treatment
23
Pembrolizumab is given with chemotherapy in PD-L1–positive advanced triple-negative breast cancer in the KEYNOTE-355 contexthttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/triple-negative-breast-cancer-treatment
24
The median duration of response and survival vary by regimen and disease settinghttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/triple-negative-breast-cancer-treatment
25
For HER2-positive early breast cancer, dual HER2 blockade with trastuzumab plus pertuzumab may be usedhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast-h2
26
For ER-positive early breast cancer, endocrine therapy can reduce recurrence riskhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/treatment-breast
27
Prophylactic surgery is not standard for all patients, but risk-reducing mastectomy is considered for high-risk patientshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-risk-reduction-surgery
28
Risk-reducing mastectomy can reduce breast cancer risk substantially in high-risk individualshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/brca-risk-reduction-surgery
29
Reconstruction may be done after mastectomyhttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/recovery/reconstructive-surgery-fact-sheet
30
In general, breast reconstruction options include implants or autologous tissuehttps://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/recovery/reconstructive-surgery-fact-sheet
Interpretation
Treatment & Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
Across Treatment and Clinical Outcomes, the most prominent trend is that endocrine targeted drugs dominate care, with 3 distinct ER and HR options like tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors plus CDK4/6 and everolimus treatments, alongside HER2 directed therapy such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab, reflecting how treatment selection tracks tumor subtype to drive clinical outcomes.
05 · Category
Epidemiology, Risk Factors & Burden30 stats
01
The proportion of breast cancers that are ER-positive is about 70%https://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-types
02
The proportion of breast cancers that are PR-positive is a substantial fractionhttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-types
03
HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for about 15%–20% of caseshttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-types
04
Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for 10%–20% of breast cancershttps://www.cancer.gov/types/breast/patient/breast-types
05
Breast cancer risk is higher in women with more breast tissue densityhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
06
Approximately 50% of women have dense breastshttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
07
Dense breast tissue can increase the risk of breast cancer and lower mammography sensitivityhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
08
Alcohol consumption is a modifiable risk factor for breast cancerhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
09
Physical inactivity is associated with increased risk of breast cancerhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
10
Overweight and obesity increase breast cancer risk after menopausehttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
11
Postmenopausal hormone therapy (combined estrogen and progestin) increases breast cancer riskhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
12
Women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations are at increased risk of developing breast cancerhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/risk_factors.htm
13
In the US, Black women have a higher breast cancer incidence rate than White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
14
In the US, Black women have a higher breast cancer death rate than White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
15
American Indian/Alaska Native women have a lower breast cancer incidence rate than White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
16
Asian/Pacific Islander women have lower breast cancer incidence rates than White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
17
Hispanic women have breast cancer mortality rates lower than non-Hispanic White womenhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
18
Incidence rates have stabilized in recent years in the US for breast cancer overallhttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
19
Death rates have been decreasing in the UShttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
20
Breast cancer survival differs by race/ethnicity in the UShttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm
21
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the US (excluding skin cancers)https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/index.htm
22
Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women in the UShttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/index.htm
23
In 2020, breast cancer represented 24.5% of all female cancer cases globallyhttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
24
In 2020, breast cancer represented 15.5% of all cancer deaths in women globallyhttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
25
In 2020, breast cancer represented 11.7% of all cancer cases worldwidehttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
26
In 2020, breast cancer represented 6.9% of all cancer deaths worldwidehttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
27
Globally, about 1 in 5 cancer cases in women is breast cancerhttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
28
Globally, about 1 in 6 cancer deaths in women is from breast cancerhttps://gco.iarc.fr/today/home
29
Mammography screening can reduce breast cancer mortality in randomized trialshttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
30
Screening mammography detects cancers earlier than diagnosis based on symptomshttps://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm
Interpretation
Epidemiology, Risk Factors & Burden Interpretation
Breast cancer is not a single disease from an epidemiology and risk factor standpoint because roughly 70% of cases are ER positive and 15% to 20% are HER2 positive, while about 50% of women have dense breasts, which is linked to higher risk and may help explain why risk is concentrated in a large segment of the population.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Current Breast Cancer Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/current-breast-cancer-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Current Breast Cancer Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/current-breast-cancer-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Current Breast Cancer Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/current-breast-cancer-statistics.
Sources & references
35 datasets cited across this report
+28 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)