10 Breast Cancer Facts That Could Save Your Life

February 12, 2026

Cropped view of a multiracial group of women dressed in pink attending a breast cancer awareness event

Whether you’re navigating a breast cancer diagnosis, supporting someone or simply want to reduce your risk, understanding the facts can help prevent breast cancer and lead to better outcomes.

Amanda Amin, MD, Co-Director of the Breast Cancer Program at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center, shares more.

1: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in the U.S.

Approximately 1 in 8 women (13 percent) will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of all cancer deaths in women (lung cancer is number one). Survival rates are relatively high, but more than 40,000 women (and approximately 500 men) in this country will still die from breast cancer this year.

The five-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is about 90%, and it exceeds 99% when the cancer is detected at an early, localized stage. Significant progress has been made in recent years, but more work is needed to ensure that everyone has access to breast cancer care and survival rates continue to improve for all.

2: Breast cancer rates are increasing.

After a dramatic decline in the early 2000s, new cases of breast cancer have been rising nearly 1 percent a year. The most significant increase has been in women under 50. Contributing factors may include:

Delayed childbearing. Women are becoming first-time mothers later in life, having fewer children (or none at all), and they may also be choosing not to breastfeed, says Dr. Amin. “All of these can impact our breast cancer risk because of estrogen exposure.”
Hormones. Over the past decade, women have been taking more hormonal medications, including birth control pills, hormone therapy, fertility medications or steroids. Certain hormones (or combinations of hormones) can raise your risk.
High obesity rates. “Breast cancer is impacted by obesity, and obesity rates are on the rise,” says Dr. Amin. “How GLP-1 drugs may impact breast cancer rates is definitely an area of interest for researchers.”
Increased alcohol consumption. Alcohol use has been increasing since the mid-1990s, though that may be changing, especially among younger adults. “We definitely know that there's a link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer,” says Dr. Amin.
Other possibilities: “The environment you grew up in, the foods you've been eating, the foods your mother ate while pregnant with you, how physically active you are — all of these factors have a potential impact on breast cancer risk,” says Dr. Amin.

3: Most breast cancers aren’t genetic or related to a family history.

Many people think that if no one in their family has had breast cancer and no genetic links have been established, their breast cancer risk is low, but that’s not how it works. “Genetic predispositions only account for about 5 to 10 percent of all breast cancers,” says Dr. Amin. There are many other factors that contribute to your personal risk.

4: Breast cancer risk increases with age.

Your risk of breast cancer increases as you get older. Most women get breast cancer after age 50. About half are diagnosed at 62 years old. Over time, damage to your cells can enable cancer to grow in them. Being exposed to hormones over the years can also influence breast cancer risk. This includes the estrogen and progesterone made by your own ovaries. If you got your first period early, become pregnant later in life or never give birth, it increases your risk.

5: A woman’s breast cancer risk nearly doubles if a first-degree relative had it.

With hereditary breast cancers, the closer the relative, the greater your risk. “If your mom or dad carried a gene that puts you at high risk for breast cancer, then there's a 50 percent chance that that gene can be passed on to you and your siblings,” says Dr. Amin. If your mom, sister or daughter gets breast cancer, your risk is greater than if it were your aunt or cousin.

Additional factors that can increase family history risk include:

Inherited gene mutations like BRCA1 and BRCA2
The breast cancer subtype
Number of family members diagnosed
Age of diagnosis
If both breasts were affected
Family history of other cancers

Genetic testing isn’t recommended for everyone, but if you have a family history of breast cancer it can help assess your personal risk. Your healthcare provider may also recommend enhanced screening and high-risk monitoring.

6: Hormone therapy after age 60 may increase the risk of breast cancer.

“Hormone therapy is a really hot topic right now,” says Dr. Amin. There are pros and cons to using hormones at different stages of life, but later in life, it can be risky. “Taking hormone therapy after menopause definitely increases body and breast exposure to estrogen, increases breast density and stimulates breast cell growth, which puts you at higher risk for breast cancer.”

7: Healthy habits can lower breast cancer risk.

“This is really important,” says Dr. Amin. “We don't talk enough about the things that we actually can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer.”

Quit smoking. “Smoking doesn’t have a direct link to breast cancer, but everyone should stop smoking,” she says. “There are no benefits to tobacco.”
Reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption. “I really enjoy a glass of wine sometimes too,” she says. “But the data shows over and over again that there are no positive benefits from alcohol, and there are risks, including increased risk of breast cancer.”
Maintain a healthy body weight. “The more obese a person is, the more inflammation it creates and the more estrogen circulates in the body, especially in a post-menopausal state,” says Dr. Amin. “Obesity can also dramatically impact your breast cancer risk and risk of recurrence after treatment.”
Exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. It may not directly impact your breast cancer risk, but even if it doesn’t, it’s good for your overall health and will help you maintain a healthy body weight, says Dr. Amin. “It’s okay to eat meat or have a cookie sometimes, but do it in moderation. Make sure you’re mostly eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.”

8: Mammogram screenings are still essential — even if you don’t have any symptoms.

“Most medical societies recommend starting screening at age 40 and continuing mammograms on an annual basis, as long as the woman is in good health, with no stopping age,” says Dr. Amin. “We have data that demonstrates that regular screening saves lives.” Catching cancer as early as possible leads to better outcomes. Women who get screened regularly have a 26 percent lower risk of death than those who don’t get screened.

Even if your last mammogram was normal, don’t skip your annual screening. “A normal mammogram doesn't mean you can't develop breast cancer over the next 12 months,” says Dr. Amin. She also advises patients to pay attention to their bodies and report anything that doesn’t seem normal, like new lumps, changes in breast shape, skin (redness, puckering, increased pore size) or nipples (more inverted or leaking discharge).

9: Dense breasts are common and can affect breast cancer screening.

“About 40 percent of women over the age of 40 have dense breast tissue,” says Dr. Amin. “But breasts tend to lose density over time, which is a good thing from a breast cancer screening standpoint.” When the tissue is dense, it makes it harder to interpret mammogram results because small masses can hide in the tissue. A supplemental screening test like a contrasted breast MRI might be recommended, or a newer option, known as contrast-enhanced mammography. Ultrasounds are also often used for supplemental screening, but Dr. Amin says the best tests are the contrasted studies.

10: Survival rates are improving for most groups.

More women are surviving breast cancer, with the exception of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women. While breast cancer deaths have dropped by 40 percent over the last 30 years, the mortality rate for AI/AN women has plateaued. And while the number of Black women who are dying from breast cancer has decreased, they continue to die at twice the rate of white women. Disparities persist, driven by systemic and socioeconomic inequities that need more attention. But overall, breast cancer is far more survivable today than it was in the past. There are now more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S.

“We're better about screening and educating women about breast awareness at an earlier age, and encouraging them to tell their healthcare provider if they notice any lumps or other concerning symptoms,” says Dr. Amin. Other reasons for higher survival rates include:

Improvements in imaging techniques, which help identify cancers when they’re smaller and more curable.
The growing number of high-risk clinics that monitor people at greater risk for more aggressive cancers.
More effective breast cancer medications.
More targeted, less toxic therapies.

Dr. Amin also notes that new ways of delivering treatment have made a difference. “Being able to treat cancer with medications, and even with radiation, allows us to be less aggressive about the surgical impact we have on patients,” says Dr. Amin. “We're debunking the myth that women need maximum surgery for better outcomes, and showing that less surgery can lead to better results.”