1. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.
2. In 2005, 211,000 women are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer and 40,000 women are expected to die as a result of breast cancer
3. Women aged 40 to 64 years accounted for 61% of cases, 54% of invasive breast cancer cases, and 40% of breast cancer deaths in 2005. The direct medical care costs for breast cancer treatment were estimated to exceed $6 billion in 1996.
4. Breast cancer accounts for up to one-quarter of all cancer-related costs.
5. The risk of breast cancer increases with age. Population aging in the next three decades is expected to increase the number of breast cancer cases and the economic burden of the disease.
6. Mammography screening is a valuable early detection tool because it can identify breast cancer at an early stage, usually before physical symptoms or complications develop, when treatment is more effective and less expensive.
7. Women with certain specific family history patterns have an increased risk for developing breast or ovarian cancer associated with mutations in genes known as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Although these mutations are uncommon, public interest in testing is growing. Further, for women who are positive for a BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutation, prophylactic surgery at a young age significantly improves survival and is cost-effective in comparison to otherminterventions.
8. For the minority of women with a clear, high risk for breast cancer, preventive medication can reduce the risk of certain types of breast cancer although such treatment can also produce serious side effects. For women at low or average risk for breast cancer, the potential harms of preventive medication may outweigh the potential benefits.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends screening mammography, with or without clinical breast examination (CBE), every 1 to 2 years for women aged 40 and older. The USPSTF found fair evidence that screening for breast cancer every 12 to 33 months significantly reduces mortality from breast cancer and that the benefits of screening outweigh the associated risks, for women aged 40 and older.
