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.
Scientists estimate that 211,240 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 58,490 cases of carcinoma in situ of the breast will be diagnosed among US women in 2005.
In 2005, an estimated 40,410 women will die of breast cancer in the United States.
If detected early, the 5-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is 98%, as compared to an 80% survival rate in the 1950s.
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.
In Kansas an estimated 1,990 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005; an estimated 380 will die.
Scientists have found that regular screening mammograms among women 50-69 years of age can reduce deaths by 30%.
. The death rate from breast cancer declined by 2.3% per year from 1990 to 2001; these decreases are thought to be due to increased awareness, earlier detection through screening, and improved treatment.

Cervical Cancer

The incidence of invasive cervical cancer has decreased significantly 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 prevent cancer.
In 2005, an estimated 10,370 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.
In 2005, an estimated 3,710 women will die of this disease in the United States.
Kansas averages 108 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed annually.
When cervical conditions are discovered and treated at a pre-cancerous stage, the survival rate is nearly 100%.
Routine screening can prevent cervical cancer.

*Statistics are from the American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts and Figures 2005. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2005.