Breast Cancer Statistics

Rates of breast cancer vary among different groups of people. Rates vary between women and men and among people of different ethnicities and ages. They vary across the U.S. and around the world.

This section provides an overview of breast cancer statistics for many populations.

Women

In 2022, it’s estimated among women in the U.S. there will be [53]:

287,850 new cases of invasive breast cancer (This includes new cases of primary breast cancer, but not breast cancer recurrences.)
51,400 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive breast cancer
43,250 breast cancer deaths

Men

In 2022, it’s estimated among men in the U.S. there will be [53]:

2,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer (This includes new cases of primary breast cancers, but not breast cancer recurrences.)
530 breast cancer deaths

Rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) are much lower among men than among women [54-55].

In 2019 (most recent data available) [54-55]:

	Men	Women
Incidence rate (new cases per year)	1.3 per 100,000	131.1 per 100,000
Mortality rate (deaths per year)	0.3 per 100,000	19.4 per 100,000

Learn more about breast cancer in men.

In 2022, it’s estimated among men in the U.S. there will be [53]:

2,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer (This includes new cases of primary breast cancers, but not breast cancer recurrences.)
530 breast cancer deaths

Rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) are much lower among men than among women [54-55].

In 2019 (most recent data available) [54-55]:

	Men	Women
Incidence rate (new cases per year)	1.3 per 100,000	131.1 per 100,000
Mortality rate (deaths per year)	0.3 per 100,000	19.4 per 100,000

Race and ethnicity

Male breast cancer incidence rates in the U.S. vary by race and ethnicity.

Non-Hispanic Black men have the highest breast cancer incidence rate overall [56]. Hispanic men have the lowest [56].

For example, in 2019 (most recent data available) [56]:

	Non-Hispanic Black men	Non-Hispanic White men	Hispanic men	Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander men
Incidence rate (new cases per year)	1.9 per 100,000	1.3 per 100,000	0.8 per 100,000	0.7 per 100,000

Non-Hispanic Black men have higher a breast cancer mortality rate than non-Hispanic white and Hispanic men [57].

For example, in 2019 (most recent data available) [56]:

	Non-Hispanic Black men	Non-Hispanic White men	Hispanic men	Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander men
Mortality rate (deaths per year)	0.5 per 100,000	0.3 per 100,000	0.1 per 100,000	Not available

Age at diagnosis

From 2014-2018 (most recent data available), the overall median age of breast cancer diagnosis for men in the U.S. was 68 [58]. The median is the middle value of a group of numbers, so about half of men are diagnosed before age 68 and about half are diagnosed after age 68.

The median age of breast cancer diagnosis for men is older than for women (overall, the median age at diagnosis for women is 63) [58].

The median age of breast cancer diagnosis for men varies by race and ethnicity.

For example, from 2014-2018 (most recent data available), Black men tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than white men [58]. The median age at diagnosis for Black men is 64, compared to 69 for white men [58].

Metastatic breast cancer at diagnosis

Most often, metastatic breast cancer arises months or years after a person has completed treatment for early or locally advanced breast cancer.

Some people have metastatic breast cancer when they are first diagnosed. This is called de novo metastatic breast cancer. In the U.S., 9 percent of men (and 6 percent of women) have metastases when they are first diagnosed with breast cancer [8].

Learn more about metastatic breast cancer.

Breast cancer rates in men over time

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer incidence rate in men, as well as in women, increased slightly (by less than one percent per year) [59].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer mortality rate in men declined slightly (by less than one percent per year) [60]. The breast cancer mortality rate in women has also declined over time. From 2015-2019 (most recent data available) the mortality rate in women decreased by about one percent per year [60].

Learn more about male breast cancer.

Learn about treatment for male breast cancer.

Breast cancer incidence rates over time

In the 1980s and 1990s, the rate of breast cancer incidence rose, largely due to increased breast cancer screening with mammography [61].

The rate of breast cancer incidence declined between 1999 and 2004 [61]. This decline appears to be related to the drop in menopausal hormone therapy use after it was shown to increase the risk of breast cancer [61-62].

Mammography screening rates also fell somewhat in the early 2000s. However, studies show the decline in the rate of breast cancer incidence during this time was not likely due to the decline in screening rates [62-63].

Since about 2005, the overall breast cancer incidence rate has increased slightly (by less than one percent per year) [64]. This may be due, in part, to an increase in body weight and a decline in the number of births among women in the U.S. over time [64].

Trends in incidence rates of breast cancer may be different among some groups of women.

Breast cancer mortality rates over time

From 1989-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer mortality rate decreased by 42 percent due to improved breast cancer treatment and early detection [53,65]. Since 1989, about 431,800 breast cancer deaths in U.S. women have been avoided [53].

The breast cancer mortality rate in women decreased by about one percent per year from 2013-2019 [60]. Different breast cancer mortality rate trends may have been seen in some groups of women.

Mammography and rates of early detection over time

During the 1980s and 1990s, diagnoses of early-stage breast cancer in the U.S., including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), increased greatly [61]. This was likely due to the increased use of screening mammography during this time [61].

Among women 50 and older, rates of DCIS increased from 7 cases per 100,000 women in 1980 to 83 cases per 100,000 women in 2008 [61]. From 2012-2016, rates of DCIS declined by about 2 percent per year [61].

Race/ethnicity and breast cancer incidence rates over time

The overall incidence rate of breast cancer is higher among white women than among Black women [66-67].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the incidence rates of breast cancer in white women and Black women increased slightly (less than one percent per year) [68].

Learn more about race/ethnicity and breast cancer risk.

Race/ethnicity and breast cancer mortality rates over time

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the mortality (death) rate from breast cancer declined for both white women (by about one percent per year) and Black women (by 1½ percent per year) [69].

However, the breast cancer mortality rate in 2019 (most recent data available) was about 43 percent higher for Black women than white women [69].

Figure 1.2 (below) shows the breast cancer mortality trends for Black women and white women.

Learn more about the disparities in breast cancer mortality rates between Black women and white women.

Learn more about race/ethnicity and breast cancer risk.

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.2 Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality Between Black Women and White Women

Age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.
Source: 1975-2019 SEER data, 2022 [70-71]

Breast cancer rates in men over time

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer incidence rate in men increased slightly (by less than one percent per year) [59].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer mortality rate in men declined slightly (by less than one percent per year) [60].

Learn more about breast cancer in men.

Incidence rates and the number of new cases

To know whether or not breast cancer rates are changing over time, you have to compare rates, rather than the number of new cases.

For example, let’s compare the number of new cases of breast cancer in U.S. in 2009 to the number of new cases in 2016. In 2009, there were an estimated 192,370 new cases of breast cancer in U.S. women [72]. In 2016, there were an estimated 246,660 new cases [73].

Although more breast cancer cases occurred in 2016 than in 2009, this doesn’t mean the rate of breast cancer increased over this time period.

We expect the number of cases to increase over time because the population of the U.S. increases over time [74]. The more people there are, the more cancers there will be.

Our population is also living longer, so there are more people who are older [75]. Since age increases the risk of breast cancer, we expect to have more breast cancers over time.

To know if breast cancer rates are changing over time, we look at incidence rates, rather than the number of new cases. The incidence rate shows the number of breast cancer cases in a set population size over a period of time. It’s usually written as the number of cases in a population of 100,000 people per year.

The breast cancer incidence rate among women in 2009 was 125 and the estimated breast cancer incidence rate in 2016 was also 125 [54]. This means there were 125 breast cancer new cases per 100,000 women in the U.S. in both 2009 and 2016.

So, although the number of breast cancer cases increased over time, breast cancer rates were fairly stable.

Learn about breast cancer statistics for 2022.

Learn about breast cancer incidence rate time trends (including a figure of breast cancer incidence rates since 1975).

Survival rates and mortality (death) rates

Survival rates depend on mortality rates. You start with 100 percent of the people in the group.

100 percent – mortality rate = survival rate

Say, the mortality rate in the group of people is 5 percent. Survival would be 95 percent (100 – 5 = 95).

Similarly, the number of people in a group who survive depends on the number of people who die. Say, 500 people are in the group and 1 person dies. This means 499 people survived (500 – 1 = 499).

Mortality rates and number of breast cancer deaths

Sometimes it’s useful to have an estimate of the number of people expected to die from breast cancer in a year. This number helps show the burden of breast cancer in a group of people.

Numbers, however, can be hard to compare to each other. To compare mortality (or survival) in different populations, we need to look at mortality rates rather than the number of breast cancer deaths.

Examples of mortality rates versus number of deaths

Say, town A has a population of 100,000 and town B has a population of 1,000. Over a year, say there are 100 breast cancer deaths in town A and 100 breast cancer deaths in town B.

The number of breast cancer deaths in each town is the same. However, many more people live in town A than live in town B. So, the mortality rates are quite different.

In town A, there were 100 breast cancer deaths among 100,000 people. This means the mortality rate was less than one percent (100 deaths/100,000 people = 0.001 = 0.1 percent mortality rate).

In town B, the mortality rate was 10 percent (100/1,000 = 0.1 = 10 percent).

Although the number of deaths was the same in town A and town B, the mortality rate was much higher in town B (10 percent) than in town A (less than one percent).

Let’s look at another example. In 2022, it’s estimated among women there will be [53]:

100 breast cancer deaths in Washington, D.C.
730 breast cancer deaths in Alabama
4,690 breast cancer deaths in California

Of the 3, California has the highest number of breast cancers. However, that doesn’t mean it has the highest rate of breast cancer. These numbers don’t take into account the number of women who live in each place. Fewer women live in Alabama and Washington, D.C. than live in California.

Other factors may vary by place as well, such as the age and race/ethnicity of women. So, to compare breast cancer mortality (or survival) rates, we need to look at mortality rates.

In 2022, the estimated mortality rates are [53]:

25 per 100,000 women in Washington, D.C.
21 per 100,000 women in Alabama
19 per 100,000 women in California

So, while Washington D.C. had the lowest number of breast cancer deaths, the breast cancer mortality rate was the highest. And, while California had the highest number of breast cancer deaths, its breast cancer mortality rate was the lowest.

Comparing mortality rates, we can see women who live in Washington D.C. have higher rates of breast cancer mortality (and thus, lower rates of breast cancer survival) than women in California.

Rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) vary across the U.S.

Incidence rates

Figure 1.5 (below) shows the incidence rates of breast cancer for each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

New Hampshire, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Washington D.C. have the highest breast cancer incidence rates [53]. Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Wyoming have the lowest incidence rates [53].

For interactive maps of breast cancer incidence in the U.S., visit the National Cancer Institute (NCI) website.

Figure 1.5: Estimated Breast Cancer Incidence (New Cases) Rates among Women by State, 2014-2018
State	Rate of Invasive Breast Cancer (per 100,000 women)	State	Rate of Invasive Breast Cancer (per 100,000 women)
United States	127	Missouri	130
Alabama	121	Montana	135
Alaska	122	Nebraska	131
Arizona	114	Nevada	110
Arkansas	120	New Hampshire	143
California	122	New Jersey	137
Colorado	129	New Mexico	111
Connecticut	140	New York	134
Delaware	134	North Carolina	137
District of Columbia	140	North Dakota	129
Florida	120	Ohio	130
Georgia	128	Oklahoma	124
Hawaii	140	Oregon	128
Idaho	129	Pennsylvania	132
Illinois	134	Rhode Island	140
Indiana	125	South Carolina	130
Iowa	133	South Dakota	125
Kansas	132	Tennessee	123
Kentucky	128	Texas	114
Louisiana	127	Utah	116
Maine	127	Vermont	132
Maryland	132	Virginia	126
Massachusetts	137	Washington	134
Michigan	123	West Virginia	119
Minnesota	134	Wisconsin	133
Mississippi	121	Wyoming	114
Source: American Cancer Society, 2022 [53]

The estimated breast cancer incidence rate for Puerto Rico in 2022 is 95 cases per 100,000 women [53].

Mortality rates

Figure 1.6 (below) shows breast cancer mortality rates for each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C., Mississippi and Oklahoma have the highest breast cancer mortality rates [53]. Connecticut, Hawaii and Massachusetts have the lowest breast cancer mortality rate [53].

For interactive maps of breast cancer mortality rates in the U.S., visit the NCI website.

Figure 1.6: Estimated Breast Cancer Mortality (Death) Rates among Women by State, 2015-2019
State	Rate of Breast Cancer Mortality (per 100,000 women)	State	Rate of Breast Cancer Mortality (per 100,000 women)
United States	20	Missouri	20
Alabama	21	Montana	19
Alaska	18	Nebraska	20
Arizona	18	Nevada	22
Arkansas	20	New Hampshire	18
California	19	New Jersey	21
Colorado	19	New Mexico	20
Connecticut	17	New York	19
Delaware	21	North Carolina	21
District of Columbia	25	North Dakota	18
Florida	19	Ohio	22
Georgia	21	Oklahoma	23
Hawaii	17	Oregon	20
Idaho	21	Pennsylvania	21
Illinois	21	Rhode Island	18
Indiana	20	South Carolina	21
Iowa	18	South Dakota	19
Kansas	20	Tennessee	22
Kentucky	21	Texas	20
Louisiana	22	Utah	20
Maine	18	Vermont	18
Maryland	21	Virginia	21
Massachusetts	17	Washington	20
Michigan	20	West Virginia	22
Minnesota	18	Wisconsin	19
Mississippi	23	Wyoming	19
Source: American Cancer Society, 2022 [53]

The estimated breast cancer mortality rate for Puerto Rico in 2022 is 17 deaths per 100,000 women [53].

Breast cancer incidence (new cases) rates worldwide

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide.

It’s estimated more than 2 million new cases of breast cancer occurred worldwide among women in 2020 (most recent data available) [76].

Breast cancer incidence rates around the world vary

In general, rates of breast cancer are higher in developed countries (such as the U.S., England and Australia) than in developing countries (such as Cambodia, Nepal and Rwanda) [76].

Figure 1.3: Breast cancer incidence rates worldwide

Breast Cancer Incidence Worldwide 1-3

Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and World Health Organization (WHO) [76]

Lifetime risk of breast cancer worldwide

Women who live in developed countries tend to have a higher lifetime risk of breast cancer than women who live in developing countries [76-77].

Although we don’t know all the reasons for these differences, lifestyle and reproductive factors likely play a large role [77-78].

Low screening mammography rates and incomplete reporting can make rates of breast cancer in developing countries look lower than they truly are and may also explain some of these differences.

Figure 1.4: Lifetime risk of breast cancer worldwide

Lifetime Risk of Breast Cancer World Wide

Source: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and World Health Organization (WHO) [76]

Learn more about lifetime risk of breast cancer in the U.S.

Breast cancer mortality (death) rates worldwide

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality (death) among women in most countries in the world [78].

It’s estimated more than 680,000 breast cancer deaths occurred worldwide in 2020 (most recent data available) [76].

Rates of breast cancer mortality vary around the world

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer mortality among women in developing countries (such as Cambodia, Nepal and Rwanda) [77,79].

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer mortality (lung cancer is first) among women in developed countries (such as the U.S., England and Australia) [77,79].

Prevalence

It’s estimated there were more than 168,000 women living with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. in 2020 (most recent estimate available) [7].

Men can also have metastatic breast cancer.

Learn more about metastatic breast cancer.

Learn more about male breast cancer.

Metastatic breast cancer at diagnosis

Most often, metastatic breast cancer arises months or years after a person has completed treatment for early or locally advanced breast cancer.

Some people have metastatic breast cancer when they are first diagnosed. This is called de novo metastatic breast cancer.

In the U.S., 6 percent of women and 9 percent of men have metastases when they are first diagnosed with breast cancer [8].

These rates vary by race and ethnicity. In 2019 (most recent data available) about 12 percent of non-Hispanic Black women with breast cancer in the U.S. had metastases when they were first diagnosed compared to 6-10 percent of women of other races and ethnicities [80].

Learn more about metastatic breast cancer.

Survival

Modern treatments continue to improve survival for people with metastatic breast cancer. However, survival varies greatly from person to person.

About one-third of women diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. live at least 5 years after diagnosis [7]. Some women may live 10 or more years beyond diagnosis [9].

An oncologist can give some information about prognosis (chances for survival), but they don’t know exactly how long someone will live.

Learn more about breast cancer survival rates.

Learn about treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

Breast cancer survival depends on a person’s diagnosis and treatment.

A main factor in survival is breast cancer stage. People with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or early-stage invasive breast cancer have a better chance of survival than those with later stage cancers.

Measures of survival

There are different measures of survival including overall survival, breast cancer-specific survival, relative survival and population survival.

When you see a survival rate, it’s important to understand the differences between these measures. For example, breast cancer-specific survival is described below.

Breast cancer-specific survival rates

Disease-specific survival rates, such as breast cancer-specific survival, show the percentage of people who have not died from the disease over a certain period of time after diagnosis.

Five-year breast cancer-specific survival shows the percentage of people who have not died from breast cancer 5 years after diagnosis. These rates vary by breast cancer stage.

Breast Cancer Stage*	5-Year Breast Cancer-Specific Survival
I	98-100%
II	90-99%
III	66-98%
* Data are from people diagnosed with breast cancer who did not get neoadjuvant therapy Adapted from Weiss et al. [81]

Learn more about survival statistics.

In the U.S., most people diagnosed with breast cancer will live for many years. Today, there are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. (more than any other group of cancer survivors) [142].

At Susan G. Komen®, we view anyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer, a survivor, from the time of diagnosis through the end of life. The American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute use similar definitions [142-143]. We recognize though that not everyone who has been diagnosed with breast cancer will identify with this term or see themselves as a survivor.

Find topics on survivorship for people:

Learn more about survivorship.

Time trends

After mammography was shown to be an effective breast cancer screening tool in the late 1980s, the use of screening mammography in the U.S. quickly increased.

In 1987, 29 percent of women 40 years and older reported having a mammogram within the past 2 years [82]. By 2000, mammography use increased to 70 percent [82].

Since 2000, there has been a slight decline in mammography use for reasons that remain unknown [82].

In 2018 (most recent data available), 63 percent of women ages 45 and older in the U.S. reported having a mammogram within the past year (ages 45-54) or past 2 years (ages 55-74) [61,82]. Mammography rates, however, vary by group.

Age

In 2018 (most recent data available):

Age	Percentage of women ages 45-54 who had a mammogram within the past year	Percentage of women ages 55 and older who had a mammogram within the past 2 years
45-54	53%	NA
55-64	NA	73%
65-74	NA	75%
75 and older	NA	51%
NA = Not applicable Adapted from American Cancer Society materials [61,82].

Learn more about how rates of screening mammography vary among different groups of women.

Race/ethnicity

In 2018 (most recent data available):

Race/ethnicity	Percentage of women ages 50-74 who had a mammogram within the past 2 years
Black	74%
White	73%
Hispanic	71%
Asian American	71%
American Indian and Alaska Native	66%
Adapted from American Cancer Society materials [82].

Learn more about how rates of screening mammography vary among different groups of women.

Health insurance

Women who don’t have health insurance are much less likely to get mammograms than women with health insurance.

In 2018 (most recent data available):

Has health insurance?	Percentage of women ages 50-74 who had a mammogram within the past 2 years
Yes	75%
No	39%
Adapted from American Cancer Society materials [61].

The Affordable Care Act requires all new health insurance plans (since September 2010) to cover mammograms (with no co-payment) every 1-2 years for women ages 40 and older [83].

Learn about Medicare, Medicaid and insurance company coverage of mammograms and find resources for low-cost or free mammograms.

Learn more about how rates of screening mammography vary among different groups of women.

Among women in the U.S., rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) vary by race and ethnicity.

Figure 1.7

Figure 1.7 and 2.3 Breast Cancer Incidence in U.S. By Race and Ethnicity

Source: 2015-2019 SEER data, 2022 [67]

Non-Hispanic white women and non-Hispanic Black women have the highest rates of breast cancer incidence overall [67]. Hispanic women have the lowest [67].

Figure 1.8

Figure 1.8 Female Breast Cancer Mortality by Race and Ethnicity

Source: 2015-2019 SEER data, 2022 [84]

Non-Hispanic Black women have the highest breast cancer mortality rate overall [84]. Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women have the lowest [84].

In the drawers below, learn more about rates of breast cancer incidence and mortality among women of different races and ethnicities.

Immigrants in the U.S. usually have breast cancer incidence (new cases) rates similar to those in their home country.

However, the daughters and granddaughters of immigrants tend to adopt American lifestyle behaviors. These may include things that increase breast cancer risk, such as being overweight or having children later in life.

So, over time, breast cancer incidence rate in the daughters and granddaughters of immigrants tends to become closer to overall incidence rate in the U.S.

Breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) rates are lower in Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women than in non-Hispanic white women and non-Hispanic Black women [67,84].

For example, from 2015-2019 (most recent data available) [67,84]:

	Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women	Non-Hispanic White women	Non-Hispanic Black women
Incidence rate (new cases per year)	111.3 per 100,000	137.6 per 100,000	129.6 per 100,000
Mortality rate (deaths per year)	17.8 per 100,000	19.9 per 100,000	28.0 per 100,000

Prevalence

As of January 2019 (most recent data available), there were about 11,000 non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women in the U.S. who were breast cancer survivors or were living with breast cancer [85].

Incidence (new cases)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in American Indian and Alaska Native women [64]. However, breast cancer incidence rates vary depending on where women live.

American Indian and Alaska Native women who live in the Southern Plains, the Northern Plains and Alaska have the highest breast cancer incidence rates, higher than incidence rates among white women in these areas [53,86-87]. Women who live in the Southwest and the East have lower rates [53,86-87].

Breast cancer incidence rates in non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women increased slightly from 2015-2019 (most recent data available), by about one percent a year [68].

Mortality (death)

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death among American Indian and Alaska Native women (lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death) [64].

The breast cancer mortality rate in American Indian and Alaska Native women remained stable from 2015-2019 [69].

Breast cancer mortality varies depending on where American Indian and Alaska Native women live. Women who live in Alaska and the Southern Plains have the highest mortality rates and women who live in the Southwest have the lowest mortality rates [88].

Survival

For those diagnosed from 2012-2018 (most recent data available), the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer among non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women (90 percent) was similar to the 5-year relative survival rate for non-Hispanic white women (92 percent) [89].

This means non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native women were 90 percent as likely as women in the general population to live 5 years beyond their breast cancer diagnosis. Non-Hispanic white women were 92 percent as likely as women in the general population to live 5 years beyond diagnosis.

However, American Indian and Alaska Native women are less likely than white women and non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes [53,90].

Breast cancer screening

Although data are limited, American Indian and Alaska Native women have somewhat lower rates of screening mammography than Black women and white women [82].

Screening mammography rates among American Indian and Alaska Native women vary depending on where women live [53]. Women who live in the Southern Plains and Alaska have higher rates of screening mammography than women who live in the Pacific Coast [53].

Learn more about breast cancer screening among American Indian and Alaska Native women.

Breast and ovarian cancer are more common among in Jewish women of Eastern European descent (Ashkenazi Jews) than among other women.

This is likely due to BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations, which increase the risk of breast cancer. These inherited gene mutations are more common in Ashkenazi Jewish women than in other women.

Learn more about Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and breast cancer risk.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations and cancer risk

Everyone has BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but women who have an inherited mutation in either of these genes have an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer [91-97].

Men who have a BRCA2 inherited gene mutation, and to a lesser degree men who have a BRCA1 inherited gene mutation, have an increased risk of breast cancer [91,93,96-100].

Learn more about BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations and the risk of breast and other cancers in women.

Learn more about BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations and the risk of breast and other cancers in men.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish people

Like other gene mutations, BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited mutations are rare in the general U.S. population (about 1 in 400 people) [97].

However, about 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish people in the U.S. carry one of these gene mutations [97].

BRCA1 and BRCA2 inherited gene mutations in Ashkenazi Jewish women diagnosed with breast cancer

About 2 percent of women in the U.S. diagnosed with breast cancer have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) inherited gene mutation [97].

Among Ashkenazi Jewish women in the U.S. diagnosed with breast cancer, about 10 percent have a BRCA1/2 inherited gene mutation [97].

Learn about genetic testing for BRCA1/2 inherited gene mutations.

Rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) are lower for non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women than for non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic Black women [67,84].

For example, from 2015-2019 (most recent data available) [67,84]:

	Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women	Non-Hispanic White women	Non-Hispanic Black women
Incidence rate (new cases per year)	106.9 per 100,000	137.6 per 100,000	129.6 per 100,000
Mortality rate (deaths per year)	11.7 per 100,000	19.9 per 100,000	28.0 per 100,000

Prevalence

As of January 2019 (most recent data available), there were about 150,000 non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women in the U.S. who were breast cancer survivors or were living with breast cancer [85].

Incidence (new cases) rates

The incidence rate of breast cancer in non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women increased slightly from 2015-2019 by 1½ percent a year [68].

Immigrants in the U.S. (including those from Asia) usually have breast cancer incidence rates similar to those in their home country.

Over time, breast cancer incidence rates may become closer to incidence rates in the U.S. This may explain some of the increase in the breast cancer incidence rate among Asian American women [101].

Breast cancer incidence rates vary among different Asian American ethnic groups [101]. For example, the incidence rate is higher in Samoan American and Hawaiian women than in Chinese American and Vietnamese American women [101].

Mortality (death) rates

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in Asian American women (lung cancer is the major cause of cancer death) [64].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer mortality rate declined for Asian American women by less than one percent per year [69].

Breast cancer survival

From 2012-2018 (most recent data available), the 5-year relative breast cancer survival rate for non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women in the U.S. was the same as the 5-year relative survival rate for non-Hispanic white women (92 percent for each group) [89].

This means non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander women and non-Hispanic white women were 92 percent as likely as women in the general population to live 5 years beyond their breast cancer diagnosis.

However, Asian American and Pacific Islander women are less likely than white women and non-Hispanic white women to be diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes [53,90].

Breast cancer survival rates vary among different Asian ethnic groups in the U.S. [101]. Japanese American women have better breast cancer survival than other Asian ethnic groups of women in the U.S. [101].

Breast cancer screening

Asian American women have similar rates of screening mammography as Black women, white women and Hispanic women [82].

Learn more about breast cancer screening among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women.

Prevalence

As of January 2019 (most recent data available), there were about 330,000 Black women in the U.S. who were breast cancer survivors or were living with breast cancer [85].

Incidence (new cases)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Black women [66-67].

In 2022, about 36,260 new cases of breast cancer are expected to occur among Black women [66].

Overall, the breast cancer incidence rate among non-Hispanic Black women is lower than among non-Hispanic white women [67]. However, for women younger than 40, the breast cancer incidence rate was higher among non-Hispanic Black women than non-Hispanic white women [102].

The incidence rate of breast cancer in Black and non-Hispanic Black women increased slightly from 2015-2019 (by less than one percent a year) [68].

Age at diagnosis

Black women tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than white women [58].

From 2014-2018, the median age at diagnosis for Black women was 60, compared to 64 for white women [58].

The median is the middle value of a group of numbers, so about half of Black women were diagnosed before age 60 and about half were diagnosed after age 60. Among white women, about half were diagnosed before age 64 and about half were diagnosed after age 64.

Mortality (death)

Breast cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among Black women [66].

In 2022, about 6,800 breast cancer deaths are expected to occur among Black women [66].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer mortality rate declined for Black and non-Hispanic Black women by about 1½ percent per year [69].

However, the breast cancer mortality rate in 2019 (most recent data available) was about 43 percent higher for Black women than white women [69].

Survival

Although breast cancer survival in Black and non-Hispanic Black women has increased over time, survival rates remain lower than among white and non-Hispanic white women [89].

For those diagnosed from 2012-2018 (most recent data available), the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer among Black and non-Hispanic Black women was 83 percent compared to 92 percent among white and non-Hispanic white women [89].

This means Black and non-Hispanic Black women were 83 percent as likely as women in the general population to live 5 years beyond their breast cancer diagnosis. White and non-Hispanic white women were 92 percent as likely as women in the general population to live 5 years beyond diagnosis.

There are many possible reasons for this difference in survival including [66,90,103-105]:

Differences in tumor biology and tumor genetics
Differences in the percentage of women who have certain risk factors (including being overweight or obese)
Barriers to high-quality health care access (including a lack of health insurance)
Later stage of breast cancer at diagnosis
Not completing treatment

For example, in 2019 (most recent data available) about 12 percent of non-Hispanic Black women with breast cancer in the U.S. had metastases when they were first diagnosed compared to 6-10 percent of women of other races and ethnicities [80].

Learn about healthy lifestyle behaviors and breast cancer survival.

Learn about Komen’s commitment to health equity.

Breast cancer screening

Black women have similar rates of screening mammography rates as white women, Hispanic women and Asian American women [82].

Learn more about breast cancer screening among Black women.

Rates of breast cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality (death) for Hispanic women are lower than for non-Hispanic white women and non-Hispanic Black women [67,84].

For example, from 2015-2019 (most recent data available) [67,84]:

	Hispanic women	Non-Hispanic White women	Non-Hispanic Black women
Incidence rate (new cases per year)	99.9 per 100,000	137.6 per 100,000	129.6 per 100,000
Mortality rate (deaths per year)	13.7 per 100,000	19.9 per 100,000	28.0 per 100,000

Prevalence

As of January 2019 (most recent data available), there were about 260,000 Hispanic women in the U.S. who were breast cancer survivors or were living with breast cancer [85].

Incidence (new cases)

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Hispanic/Latina women [64,106].

In 2021 (most recent data available), an estimated 28,100 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed among Hispanic women in the U.S. [106].

The incidence rate of breast cancer in Hispanic/Latina women increased slightly from 2015-2019 (by less than one percent a year) [68].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer incidence rate was about 27 percent lower in Hispanic women than in non-Hispanic white women [67].

Hispanic women are slightly less likely than non-Hispanic white women to have metastases when they are first diagnosed with breast cancer (6 percent of Hispanic women and 7 percent of non-Hispanic white women) [80].

Lifetime risk of getting breast cancer

The lifetime risk of breast cancer for Hispanic women is lower than the lifetime risk of breast cancer for non-Hispanic white women [106]. One in 9 Hispanic women will get breast cancer in her lifetime compared to 1 in 7 non-Hispanic white women [106].

Mortality (death)

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Hispanic women [106].

In 2021 (most recent data available), about 3,100 breast cancer deaths were expected to occur among Hispanic/Latina women in the U.S. [106].

The breast cancer mortality rate in Hispanic women decreased slightly from 2015-2019 (by about one percent a year) [69].

From 2015-2019 (most recent data available), the breast cancer mortality rate was about 31 percent lower in Hispanic women than in non-Hispanic white women [84].

Lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer

The lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer for Hispanic women is lower than the lifetime risk of dying from breast cancer for non-Hispanic white women [106]. About 1 in 49 Hispanic will die from breast cancer in her lifetime compared to 1 in 39 non-Hispanic white women [106].

Survival

The 5-year relative survival rate is slightly lower for Hispanic women than for non-Hispanic white women [89,106]. One reason may be that a smaller percentage of Hispanic women being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer compared to white women [106].

Hispanic women may be less likely than non-Hispanic white women to get appropriate and timely breast cancer care [106]. However, whether this affects breast cancer survival in Hispanic women is not known [106].

Breast cancer screening

Hispanic women have similar rates of screening mammography as Black women, white women and Asian American women [82]. However, screening mammography rates vary by group. For example, women of Central/South American origin have higher screening mammography rates than Mexican American women [106].

Hispanic women tend to be diagnosed with later stage breast cancers than non-Hispanic white women [90,106]. This may be due to delays in follow-up after an abnormal mammogram [106].

Learn more about breast cancer screening among Hispanic/Latina women.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual women

Breast cancer rates

Although lesbians and bisexual women tend to have an increased risk of breast cancer, it’s not due to their sexual orientation.

Rather, studies show the increased risk of breast cancer is linked to risk factors that tend to be more common in lesbians such as never having children or having them later in life, obesity and alcohol use [107-109].

Learn more about factors that affect breast cancer risk.

Breast cancer screening

Screening mammography rates among lesbians and bisexual women are similar to or higher than screening mammography rates among heterosexual women [61,82].

In 2018 (most recent data available) [61,82]:

79 percent of gay and lesbian women ages 50-74 had a mammogram in the past 2 years
73 percent of straight women ages 50-74 had a mammogram in the past 2 years

Data on screening mammography in transgender people and nonbinary people are limited.

Some lesbian and bisexual women may not get regular mammograms. This may be due to [111-112]:

Lack of health insurance
Perceived low risk of breast cancer
Past discrimination or insensitivity from health care providers
Low level of trust of health care providers
Having trouble finding a health care provider

Resources for finding a health care provider

One step you can take is to find a health care provider who is sensitive to your needs. Getting a referral from a trusted friend may help. The National LGBT Cancer Network has a directory of LGBT-welcoming cancer screening centers that may be helpful.

Regular visits to a health care provider offer the chance to discuss your risk of breast cancer and get breast cancer screening and other needed health care.

Learn more about finding a health care provider.

Transgender people

Transmasculine people (transgender men) had female sex assigned at birth, but have male gender identity. Transfeminine people (transgender women) had male sex assigned at birth, but have female gender identity.

Data on breast cancer among transmasculine and transfeminine people are limited.

One small study compared breast cancer rates among transgender people who had hormone treatments, with or without surgery as part of their transition, to breast cancer rates in the general population [113]. These early findings suggested [113]:

Transmasculine people had a much lower risk of breast cancer than women in the general population, but a higher risk than men in the general population.
Transfeminine people had a much lower risk of breast cancer than women in the general population, but a higher risk than men in the general population.

There’s still much to learn about the risk of breast cancer in transgender people. If you’re transgender, talk with your health care provider about your risk of breast cancer.

Learn about breast cancer screening recommendations for transgender people.

Resources for finding a health care provider

Regular visits to a health care provider offer the chance to discuss your risk of breast cancer and get breast cancer screening and other needed health care.

Learn more about finding a health care provider.

Everyone is at risk of breast cancer.

The most common risk factors of breast cancer are:

Being born female
Getting older

The risk of getting breast cancer increases with age. Most breast cancers and breast cancer deaths occur in women 50 and older [61].

The overall median age at diagnosis for women in the U.S. is 63 [119]. The median is the middle value of a group of numbers, so about half of women are diagnosed before age 63 and about half are diagnosed after age 63. The median age at diagnosis for U.S. women varies by race and ethnicity.

Learn more about age and breast cancer risk.

Women younger than 40

About 4 percent of breast cancers occur in women younger than 40 [61].

However, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death (death from any type of cancer) among women ages 20-39 [64].

Genetic factors can put some women at a higher risk of breast cancer. Women diagnosed younger than 40 may have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 inherited gene mutation. These inherited gene mutations increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

Learn more about BRCA1, BRCA2 and other inherited gene mutations and breast cancer risk.

Learn about breast cancer screening for women who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 inherited gene mutation.

Learn about unique issues for younger women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant and postpartum women [120]. It occurs most often between ages 32-38 [120].

About one case of breast cancer in 3,000 pregnancies is diagnosed each year [120].

When women are pregnant or breastfeeding, their breasts are naturally more tender and enlarged. This may make it harder to find a lump or notice other changes in the breasts.

Learn more about breast cancer during pregnancy.

It takes time to carefully collect, sort and analyze data. So, often, the “most recent data available” are several years old.

The larger the amount of data involved, the longer the process can take. For example, when researchers collect data from many different states or countries, rather than from one hospital, it takes much longer.

Sometimes, researchers need to collect data over many years.

Say researchers want to learn about survival 5 years after a breast cancer diagnosis. They must collect data on people diagnosed this year and then wait 5 years to collect the data on 5-year survival. Only then can they begin to sort and analyze the data.

So, when you see the most recent data are from 2018 or 2019, it doesn’t mean the data are “old.” It simply means it took time to carefully collect the data, do the analyses and prepare the findings.

Updated 07/26/22

TOOLS & RESOURCES

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Facts for Life: Racial & Ethnic Differences

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Breast Cancer Fact Sheet