Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in American women, accounting for one out of three cancer diagnoses. It rarely occurs in men. Its cause and the means for a cure have remained undiscovered.

In 1996, it was estimated that 184,300 new cases of invasive female breast cancer and 30,000 in situ cases would be diagnosed, and more than 44,300 women would die from the disease. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for African American women.

One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime -- a risk that in 1960 was one out of fourteen. In 1996, breast cancer was newly diagnosed every three minutes, and a woman died from breast cancer every twelve minutes.

Every woman is at risk for breast cancer. The risk of developing breast cancer increases as a woman ages, if she has a family history of breast cancer, has never had children, or had her first child after age 30. However, most breast cancers occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors.

Fewer than a third of American women follow recommended guidelines for screening mammography, a simple procedure that can reveal small breast cancers up to two years before they can be felt.

Most breast irregularities are found by women themselves, yet many women do not know how to perform breast self-examination, and few do so regularly.

Over 80% of breast lumps are benign, but any breast lump must be evaluated by a physician. Follow-up biopsy is often recommended.

If detected early, breast cancer can often be treated effectively with surgery that preserves the breast. Five-year survival after treatment for localized breast cancer is 93%.

Breast cancer incidence increases with age, rising sharply after age 40. Two-thirds of all breast cancers occur in women over 50 years of age.

We do not know what causes breast cancer or how to cure it. It is the leading cause of death for women 40-55 years of age.