Breast Cancer Facts and Statistics

Every year, breast cancer accounts for about 30% of all new cancer cases in U.S. women. Here’s a look at the latest breast cancer facts and statistics.

Sections

How common is breast cancer?

Breast cancer disparities by race and ethnicity

Breast cancer prognosis

Breast cancer facts

See the latest breast cancer research

Dispelling breast cancer myths

Approximately 1 in 8 women (13%) in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their life.

While advances in screening and treatment have reduced the overall risk of death from the disease, the number of people diagnosed with breast cancer continues to rise. One report found that breast cancer incidence increased by 1% per year between 2012 and 2021.

How common is breast cancer?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the U.S. Each year, about 32% of all newly diagnosed cancers in women are breast cancer.
In 2025, approximately 316,950 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, with 59,080 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is non-invasive.
About 16% of women with breast cancer are younger than 50 years of age.
About 66% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed at a localized stage — before cancer has spread outside of the breast — when treatments tend to work better.
Female breast cancer incidence rates have been slowly increasing since the mid-2000s, largely driven by diagnoses of localized-stage and hormone receptor-positive disease.
There are currently more than four million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
About 42,170 women will die from breast cancer in 2025.
Less than 1% of all breast cancers occur in men.

Breast cancer disparities by race and ethnicity

There are persistent disparities in breast cancer incidence and death rates:

Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group.
Even as breast cancer death rates have declined in every racial and ethnic group since the 1990s, death rates in American Indian/Alaska Native women have remained constant.
Black women have 5% lower breast cancer incidence than white women, but they have a 38% higher risk of dying from the disease.
American Indian/Alaska Native women have 10% lower breast cancer incidence than white women, but 6% higher risk of dying from the disease.
Ashkenazi Jewish women have a higher risk of breast cancer because of a higher rate of BRCA mutations.
Black men have the highest incidence of male breast cancer and death.

Breast cancer prognosis

If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, your prognosis is your doctor’s estimate of your future health after treatment. Your doctor uses the information in your pathology report to determine your prognosis.

Breast cancer facts

Historical incidence rates

Between 1980 and 2000, breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. climbed, before dropping in the early 2000s. But from 2012 to 2021, the rate increased by 1% overall, with the highest increases in women younger than 50 years old (1.4% per year) and Hispanic (1.6% per year) or Asian American and Pacific Islander (2.6% per year).

Researchers believe that some of the rising cases of breast cancer may be due to people getting less physical activity, drinking alcohol, and having fewer kids.

Age at diagnosis

The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 62 — meaning that half of women with breast cancer are diagnosed before age 62 and half are diagnosed afterward. While historically breast cancer diagnoses have been relatively rare in younger women, cases have been rising in recent years. In 2025, researchers estimate that 16% of women with breast cancer will be younger than 50 years of age.

Breast cancer risk

There are several breast cancer risk factors to be aware of — these are just a few.

Sex at birth and getting older

The most significant risk factors for breast cancer are being a woman and getting older. If you’re trans or non-binary, it’s essential that you speak with your doctor about your personal risk level so you can make sure to get screened as often as makes sense for you.

Family history

A woman’s risk of breast cancer nearly doubles if she has a first-degree relative (for example, their mother, sister, or daughter) who has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Approximately 15% of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.

Genetics

About 5% to 10% of breast cancers can be linked to known gene mutations inherited from one’s mother or father. Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are the most common.

On average, women with a BRCA1 mutation have up to a 72% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer. Women with a BRCA2 mutation have up to a 69% risk. Breast cancer that is positive for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations tends to develop more often in younger women. In men, BRCA2 mutations are associated with a lifetime breast cancer risk of about 6.8%; BRCA1 mutations are a less frequent cause.

About 85% of breast cancers occur in women who have no family history of breast cancer. These occur due to genetic mutations that happen as a result of the aging process and life in general, rather than inherited mutations.

Breast cancer in men

Though rare — the average lifetime risk of a man getting breast cancer is less than 1% — breast cancer can occur in men. In 2025, researchers estimate about 2,800 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in men, and about 510 men will die from breast cancer.

See the latest breast cancer research

Our research news content breaks down the results of complex clinical studies and medical research — making it easier to understand what it means for you.

Dispelling breast cancer myths

As with other health conditions, there are many misconceptions about breast cancer, especially as it pertains to risk factors.