Facts & Figures

According to the American Cancer Society in 2009 approximately 1.5 million of new cases of cancer are estimated to be diagnosed with approximately 563,000 people are estimated to die from cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. 

American Cancer Society estimates that 192,370 cases of invasive and 62,280 cases of in situ breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2009. An estimated 40,610 women will die of breast cancer in 2009.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women (behind lung cancer).

African-American women have a 1:10 chance of developing breast cancer compared to a 1:8 chance for white women.  However, African-American women have a higher death rate from breast cancer than do white or Hispanic/Latina women.

According to the American Cancer Society, the overall incidence rate of breast cancer among African-American women is 10% lower than for white women.  However, among younger African-American women (under age of 40) the incidence rate is higher than in whites.

From 2001-2005 African-American women had a 37% higher death rate than white women from breast cancer.  Access to and utilization of early detection and treatment and differences in tumor characteristics reflect this disparity.

The District of Columbia has the highest death rate from breast cancer in the United States (rate of 31 per 100,000).