Breast cancer - How common is it?

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.

Here's what we know about the rates of breast cancer.[1]

In 2004, about 44,300 women in the UK were diagnosed with breast cancer.[1]
The number of women diagnosed with very early breast cancer (carcinoma in situ) has increased over the past five years because more women are having mammograms.[1]This kind of breast cancer is the easiest to treat.
About 12,000 women die from breast cancer each year in the UK.[2]
A woman's risk of getting breast cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 9.
But the risk is highest for older women. For example, for women under 25 the risk of getting breast cancer is 1 in 15,000. For women under the age of 70, the risk is 1 in 15.
About 8 in 10 cases of breast cancer happen in women who have been through the menopause.
More women are getting breast cancer now than before, especially those aged 50 to 64. We don't know why.
Women who are wealthy are more likely to get breast cancer than women from a poorer background.
But more women of all ages and backgrounds are surviving the disease. The number of women dying from breast cancer has fallen by about a fifth in the last 15 years. This may be because screening means women are being diagnosed with breast cancer earlier. Better treatments also may be helping.

Men can also get breast cancer. In the UK, About 300 men are diagnosed with the disease each year and around 80 die.[1] [2]

Do 1 in 9 women get breast cancer?

It's a commonly quoted statistic that 1 in 9 women will get breast cancer during their lifetime. This statistic is accurate for a woman who is born today and lives to be 90.[1] But it doesn't mean that every woman has a 1 in 9 chance of getting breast cancer. Your risk is unique. It depends on lots of things.

A more useful way to think about the general risk of getting breast cancer may be by age. The table below can give you some idea of your chance of getting breast cancer over certain periods of your life.[1]

Age	Risk of breast cancer
Up to age 25	1 in 15,000
Up to 30	1 in 1,900
Up to 40	1 in 200
Up to 50	1 in 50
Up to 60	1 in 23
Up to 70	1 in 15
Up to 80	1 in 11
Up to 85	1 in 10
Lifetime risk	1 in 9

References

Cancer Research UK. UK breast cancer incidence statistics. Available at http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats (accessed on 02 January 2008).
Cancer Research UK. Breast cancer mortality statistics. Available at http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats (accessed on 28 September 2006).

Glossary

mammogram: A mammogram is a special kind of X-ray picture of the breast. It is used to screen women for breast cancer, as well as to investigate breast lumps.
menopause: When a woman stops having periods, it is called the menopause. This usually happens around the age of 50.

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.