Besides nonmelanoma skin cancers, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. About 1 in 8 women, that is 13%, are feared to develop invasive breast cancer at some time in her life. At the start of 2005, about 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer were estimated to be diagnosed among the women in the U.S. At that time, slightly over 2 million breast cancer survivors were there in the United States. Women who have the highest rate of breast cancer in the world are the women living in North America.

Besides invasive breast cancer, CIS or carcinoma in situ, a noninvasive and the earliest form of breast cancer, was accounted for about 61,980 new cases in 2006. Breast cancer does not occur to women only, but many men are its victim too. About 1,720 men were estimated to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2006.

A rapid increase in the rates of breast cancer incidence was noted in the 1980s. In 1990s the rate of increase slowed though, as compared to the 1980s. 2001 to 2003 was the time when decrease in the incidence rates was witnessed.

Exceeded only by lung cancer, breast cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in women. About 1 in 33 women, that is 3%, were feared to die due to breast cancer in 2006. About 460 men and 40,970 women were feared to die because of the breast cancer in the United States in 2006. The rates of death due to breast cancer are declining continuously with larger decreases in under 50 women. Along with improved treatment, increased awareness and early detection through screening are believed to be bringing these cheering results.

A Most Recent Study:

Background: In 2003, the year after millions of women quit taking menopause hormones after an increased risk of tumors due to the pills usage was showed by a big federal study, breast cancer rates plunged a record 7%.

Reported on Thursday, 14 December, 2006, at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium was a surprising new analysis that does not prove a link between breast cancer and hormone therapy. Instead the experts associated with the analysis ended up strongly recommending it.

Women who stopped taking the pills now have the more reason to be glad that they stopped.