Today, nearly 40 years since President Nixon declared the “War on Cancer” with the National Cancer Act of 1971, we are still fighting to cure the second deadliest disease for men and women in the U.S. Every year, numerous government agencies sink billions of dollars into cancer research and prevention efforts; non-profits contribute additional millions of dollars. More than $200 billion has been spent fighting cancer since 1971.

Yet we still lose 1,500 people every single day to cancer. 

 Here are the amazing and sad statistics for breast cancer in women in the U.S in 2011:
     • An estimated 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
     • 288,000 new cases have been diagnosed
     • Nearly 40,000 U.S. women died of breast cancer 
     • One woman dies every 15 minutes from breast cancer.
     • There are more than 2.6 million women living in the U.S. with breast cancer

Breast cancer incidence rates in US women are no

longer declining

March 1, 2011

A study published this month in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention reports that the sharp decline (7%) in breast cancer incidence rates that occurred from 2002-2003 in white women did not continue through 2007.  In this analysis, researchers used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to examine the breast cancer incidence rates among non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women from 2003-2007.  They also explored postmenopausal hormone use for all three racial/ethnic groups using the National Health Interview Survey data. 

Incidence rates did not change significantly among white, black, and Hispanic women from 2003-2007.  However, the rates increased by 2.7% per year for ER-positive breast cancers in ages 40-49, and decreased for ER-negative cancers in ages 40-49 and 60-69.  Although smaller than in past years, the decrease in hormone use continued from 2005-2008.  Clearly, more research is needed to determine why the incidence rate of ER-positive breast cancer in younger women has increased in recent years.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 The future of breast cancer lies in innovative research focused on providing life-saving
treatments and ultimately cures.

Thanks to improvements in treatment and early detection, millions of women are surviving every day.  The information on this website will focus on breast cancer in women, research information, evaluation of charities, donations, support groups throughout the United States, gifts, and stories of hope and survival.