Facts About Breast and Cervical Cancer

Breast Cancer

• Second only to skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women.
• Of all the cancers, only lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer.
• Around 215,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among US women each year.
• Around 40,000 women will die of breast cancer in the United States.
• If detected early, the 5-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 97%.
• 75% of all breast cancers occur in women over 50 years of age.
• The risk of breast cancer increases with age.
• A mammogram exposes a woman to less radiation than a dental x-ray.
• Scientists have found that regular screening mammograms among women 50-69 years of age can reduce deaths by 30%.

Cervical Cancer

• The incidence of invasive cervical cancer has decreased a great deal over the last 40 years mainly because of Pap tests and treatment of precancerous conditions.
• A Pap test can detect abnormal cells before they become cancerous and treatment can be used to prevent cancer.
• Each year, around 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.
• Each year, around 5,000 women will die of cervical cancer in the United States.
• Almost half of women who die from cervical cancer are older than age 65.
• Routine screening can prevent cervical cancer.
• When cervical conditions are discovered and treated at a pre-cancerous stage, the survival rate is nearly 100%.