How to Interpret Breast Cancer Statistics

The most common type of cancer among women, according to the American Cancer Society, is breast cancer, aside from skin cancer. If you have or have had breast cancer or someone close to you has, you may be interested in learning about breast cancer statistics to help you determine what you or your loved one should expect. Sometimes statistics of any type are difficult to understand and somewhat confusing, but they don't have to be.

According to a study done by the Women's Health Initiative in 2002, breast cancer has increased since the start of HRT (hormone replacement therapy.) This doesn't necessarily mean that if you receive HRT that you'll develop breast cancer, but only that you may have an increased chance of developing it, especially if you have a family history of breast cancer.

Deaths related to breast cancer have declined since 1990, especially in women under the age of 50. American Cancer Society statistics prove that the chances of breast cancer being fatal is about 3% or 1 in about 35 women. So if you or someone that you love develops breast cancer, it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be fatal. In fact, with the advancements in treatment options and the ability to detect this type of cancer sooner, most often before it has had a chance to spread, there is a good chance of going into remission. Even in women who haven't been diagnosed early, there's still a better survival rate than years ago.

According to studies completed by the CDC (Center for Disease Control,) obesity is a major contributing factor to breast cancer. Surprising, the likelihood of obese women developing breast cancer doesn't increase until after menopause, and the risk is actually lower in obese women than non-obese women prior to menopause. Studies have also concluded that deaths related to breast cancer can be prevented in up to 18,000 women per year if they keep their weight down.

Breastcancer.org has the results of several studies, one stating that white women are more likely to develop breast cancer than African American yet African American women are more likely to die from it. Studies were unable to conclude the reason for the study's results, but more studies are being performed. Despite the study, many African American women are able to successfully beat breast cancer just as many white women die from the disease, and it ultimately depends on several factors whether or not a woman will die from breast cancer, such as how soon it was diagnosed, which treatments were used, as well as other individual factors.