Cancer Stat Facts: Female Breast Cancer

At a Glance

Rate of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The rate of new cases of female breast cancer was 129.4 per 100,000 women per year. The death rate was 19.3 per 100,000 women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2017–2021 cases and 2018–2022 deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 13.1 percent of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2018–2021 data, excluding 2020 due to COVID.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2021, there were an estimated 3,972,256 women living with female breast cancer in the United States.

Did You Know? Video Series

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Female Breast Cancer?

Relative survival is an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer. It excludes the risk of dying from other causes. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

5-Year
Relative Survival

91.2%

Based on data from SEER 22 (Excluding IL/MA) 2014–2020. Gray figures represent those who have died from female breast cancer. Green figures represent those who have survived 5 years or more.

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier female breast cancer is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For female breast cancer, 63.5% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year relative survival for localized female breast cancer is 99.6%.

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, female breast cancer is fairly common.

Rank	Common Types of Cancer	Estimated New Cases 2024	Estimated Deaths 2024
1.	Breast Cancer (Female)	310,720	42,250
2.	Prostate Cancer	299,010	35,250
3.	Lung and Bronchus Cancer	234,580	125,070
4.	Colorectal Cancer	152,810	53,010
5.	Melanoma of the Skin	100,640	8,290
6.	Bladder Cancer	83,190	16,840
7.	Kidney and Renal Pelvis Cancer	81,610	14,390
8.	Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma	80,620	20,140
9.	Uterine Cancer	67,880	13,250
10.	Pancreatic Cancer	66,440	51,750

Female breast cancer represents 15.5% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.

15.5%

In 2024, it is estimated that there will be 310,720 new cases of female breast cancer and an estimated 42,250 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Female breast cancer is most common in middle-aged and older women. Although rare, men can develop breast cancer as well. The rate of new cases of female breast cancer was 129.4 per 100,000 women per year based on 2017–2021 cases, age-adjusted.

Rate of New Cases per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity: Female Breast Cancer

Males

All Races	Sex-specific cancer type
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
Non-Hispanic Black
Non-Hispanic White

Females

All Races	129.4
Hispanic	101.2
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	113.0
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	110.3
Non-Hispanic Black	129.3
Non-Hispanic White	139.0

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

SEER 22 2017–2021, Age-Adjusted

Who Dies From This Cancer?

Overall, female breast cancer survival is good. However, women who are diagnosed at an advanced age may be more likely than younger women to die of the disease. Female breast cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The death rate was 19.3 per 100,000 women per year based on 2018–2022, age-adjusted.

Death Rate per 100,000 Persons by Race/Ethnicity: Female Breast Cancer

Males

All Races	Sex-specific cancer type
Hispanic
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander
Non-Hispanic Black
Non-Hispanic White

Females

All Races	19.3
Hispanic	13.7
Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native	17.8
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	11.9
Non-Hispanic Black	26.8
Non-Hispanic White	19.4

• All Races
• Hispanic
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/
  Alaska Native
• Non-Hispanic Asian /
  Pacific Islander
• Non-Hispanic Black
• Non-Hispanic White

U.S. 2018–2022, Age-Adjusted

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, age-adjusted rates for new female breast cancer cases have been rising on average 1.0% each year over 2012–2021. Age-adjusted death rates have been falling on average 1.2% each year over 2013–2022. 5-year relative survival trends are shown below.

Cancer and the Female Breast

Figure: Breast and Adjacent Lymph Nodes

Figure: The female breast along with lymph nodes and vessels. An inset shows a close-up view of the breast with the following parts labeled: lobules, lobe, ducts, nipple, areola, and fat.

Inside a woman's breast are 15 to 20 sections, or lobes. Each lobe is made of many smaller sections called lobules. Fibrous tissue and fat fill the spaces between the lobules and ducts (thin tubes that connect the lobes and nipples). Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast grow out of control and form a growth or tumor. Tumors may be cancerous (malignant) or not cancerous (benign).

Additional Information

• Learn more about female breast cancer

Related Stat Facts by Subtype

• Female Breast Cancer Subtypes Stat Facts

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about female breast cancer.

• About risk factors for breast cancer
• About breast cancer screening
• About symptoms and diagnosis of breast cancer
• About treatment options for breast cancer
• About clinical trials
• About breast cancer prevention
• About cancer prevention

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within SEER*Explorer.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Female Breast Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html