October marks National Breast Cancer Awareness Month — the time of year when breast cancer survivors, their loved ones, and the medical community alike work to educate the public on this deadly disease.
Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women.
Learn more about the breakthrough treatments for breast cancer at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
Must-Know Facts About Breast Cancer
According to BreastCancer.org:
- One in eight U.S. women will develop a form of invasive breast cancer during their lifetime
- An estimated 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in U.S. women in 2016. About 2,600 new cases in U.S. men are also expected this year.
- Death rates for breast cancer have steadily decreased since the late `80s. Still, about 40,450 women in the U.S. are estimated to have died from the disease in 2015.
- In 2016, more than 2.8 million women in the U.S. have a history with breast cancer.
- A woman’s risk of breast cancer doubles if she has a first-degree relative, such as a mother, sister, or daughter, who has been diagnosed with the disease.
What can you do to fight breast cancer? Learn more about breast cancer detection methods, risk factors, and making your mammogram appointment.
