The Women's Health Resource. On the web since 1997.

Breast Cancer Deaths Declining


Deaths from breast cancer continue to decline in the United States, according to figures published by the American Cancer Society for 2011-2012. The American Cancer Society found reports that a reduction in breast cancer death rates across race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status in the United States. However, death rates have been declining at a slower pace for poor women.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in the United States, after skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women today, after lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer annually in the United States, and more than 39,000 will die from the disease.

The American Cancer Society reported that approximately 2.6 million US women with a history of breast cancer were alive in January 2008, more than half of whom were diagnosed less than 10 years earlier.

The key to surviving breast cancer is early detection and treatment. According to the American Cancer Society, when breast cancer is confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is close to 100%. The early detection of breast cancer helps reduce the need for therapeutic treatment and minimizes pain and suffering, allowing women to continue leading happy, productive lives.

The American Cancer Society reported that about 67% of non-Hispanic white women over age 40 received mammograms within the past 2 years, 66% of African Americans, 64% of Hispanics, and 62% of Asians.

Click here to read more and view charts about breast cancer statistics.