Giving Compass' Take:

• In this PDF, the American Cancer Society breaks down the basic facts surrounding breast cancer - including information about diagnosis, treatment, and racial disparities. 

• How can funders use this information to direct their efforts to fight breast cancer? What groups need to receive extra focus? 

• Learn how to find and fund scientific research. 

In 2017, an estimated 252,710 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women (Table 1, page 1) and 2,470 cases will be diagnosed in men. In addition, 63,410 cases of in situ breast carcinoma will be diagnosed among women. Approximately 40,610 women and 460 men are expected to die from breast cancer in 2017.

Breast cancer typically produces no symptoms when the tumor is small and most easily treated, which is why screening is important for early detection. The most common physical sign is a painless lump. Sometimes breast cancer spreads to underarm lymph nodes and causes a lump or swelling, even before the original breast tumor is large enough to be felt. Less common signs and symptoms include breast pain or heaviness; persistent changes, such as swelling, thickening, or redness of the skin; and nipple abnormalities such as spontaneous discharge (especially if bloody), erosion, or retraction. Any persistent change in the breast should be evaluated by a physician as soon as possible.

A woman living in the US has a 12.4%, or a 1-in-8, lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer. Conversely, 7 out of 8 women born today will not be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. In the 1970s, the lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer was 1 in 11. This increase in risk over the past four decades is due to longer life expectancy, as well as increases in breast cancer incidence due in part to changes in reproductive patterns, menopausal hormone use, the rising prevalence of obesity, and increased detection through screening. Lifetime risk reflects an average woman’s risk over an entire lifetime, including the possibility that she may die from another cause before she would have been diagnosed with breast cancer and does not apply only to women who live to a very old age.

Incidence and death rates for breast cancer are higher among non-Hispanic white (NHW) and non-Hispanic black (NHB) women than other racial and ethnic groups. Asian/Pacific Islander (API) women have the lowest incidence and death rates.