I've read that American women have a one-in-seven chance of getting breast cancer. What does this mean?

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) estimates that one in seven American women will develop breast cancer at some time in their lives. This is an overall estimate that refers to all American women, from childhood to age 95 and older.

An individual's chance of getting breast cancer increases with age. For example, the NCI estimates that the chance of being diagnosed with breast cancer is:

• One in 227 between ages 30 and 39.
• One in 67 between ages 40 and 49.
• One in 36 between ages 50 and 59.

These estimates are based on average risk for all women within each age group. A woman's risk may be higher or lower than the average, depending on her family history, reproductive history, race/ethnicity, and other factors.

For more information about breast cancer risk, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.

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