In 2015, about 589,430 Americans are expected to die of cancer, or about 1,620 people per day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, exceeded only by heart disease, and accounts for nearly 1 of every 4 deaths.
The 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers diagnosed in 2004-2010 was 68%, up from 49% in 1975-1977. This improvement in survival reflects both the earlier diagnosis of certain cancers and improvements in treatment.
Cancer costs – The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) estimates that the direct medical costs (total of all health care expenditures) for cancer in the US in 2011 were $88.7 billion. Half of this cost is for hospital outpatient or office-based provider visits, 35% is inpatient hospital stays, and 11% is prescription medications.
Breast Cancer Specifically
About 1 in 8 (12%) women in the US will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime.
For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer, besides lung cancer.
About 2,350 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2015. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.
About 40,290 women in the U.S. are expected to die in 2015 from breast cancer, though death rates have been decreasing since 1989. Women under 50 have experienced larger decreases. These decreases are thought to be the result of treatment advances, earlier detection through screening, and increased awareness.
In 2015, there are more than 2.8 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment.
Besides skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. In 2015, it’s estimated that just under 30% of newly diagnosed cancers in women will be breast cancers.