One out of eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer if they live past the age of 85, a risk that in 1960 was one out of 14.

An estimated 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women in the US during 2006. (This does not take DCIS into account). About 1,720 new cases of breast cancer are expected in men.

An estimated 41,430 breast cancer deaths are anticipated this year (40,970 women, 460 men).

Female breast cancer rates have continued to increase, although at a slower rate than in years past. The ACS says the increase may be due to screening using mammography. The increase in female breast cancer, according to the ACS, may also reflect increased use of hormone replacement therapy and/or increased prevalence of obesity.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in American women.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women 40-55 years of age.

There are 2 million women living in the U.S. who have been diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. There are another 1 million women living with breast cancer who have not yet been diagnosed.

Every woman is at risk for breast cancer, and that risk increases with age. About 77 percent of breast cancer diagnoses occur in women age 50 and older.

Seventy percent of breast cancers occur in women who have no identifiable risk factors.

More than 80 percent of breast lumps are benign (not cancerous).

The risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer increases for women whose mother, sister, daughter or two or more close relatives have had the disease. It is important to know how old they were at the time they were diagnosed.

Women who begin menstruating before age 12 are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. The more menstrual cycles a woman has over her lifetime, the more likely she is to get the disease.

* facts provided by the American Cancer Society.

To learn more statistics, including those for different ethnic groups, visit the American Cancer Society.