A Snapshot of Breast Cancer

Incidence and Mortality

In the United States, breast cancer is the most common nonskin cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Each year, a small number of men also are diagnosed with and die from breast cancer. Although the overall rate of diagnosis of breast cancer increased in the 1990s, it began decreasing in 2000 and has remained steady in recent years. The overall breast cancer death rate has dropped steadily over the past 20 years. 

The incidence of breast cancer is highest in white women for most age groups, but African-American women have higher incidence rates before 40 years of age and higher breast cancer mortality rates than women of any other racial/ethnic groups in the United States at every age. The gap in mortality between African-American and white women is wider now than it was in the early 1990s. 

Studies have identified numerous risk factors for breast cancer, including increasing age, personal or family history of breast cancer, reproductive and menstrual history, the presence of certain genetic changes, history of radiation therapy to the chest, long-term use of menopausal hormone therapy, history of taking DES, increased breast density, obesity, and lack of exercise. Factors that may reduce the risk of breast cancer include engaging in physical activity, reducing alcohol intake, and, for women who are at high risk, treatments that reduce estrogen levels or block its activity. Mammograms and clinical breast exams are commonly used to screen for breast cancer. Standard treatment options for breast cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and targeted therapy. 

It is estimated that approximately $16.5 billion¹ is spent in the United States each year on breast cancer treatment.

Trends in NCI Funding for Breast Cancer Research

The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) investment² in breast cancer research increased from $572.4 million in fiscal year (FY) 2007 to $631.2 million in FY 2010 before decreasing to $625.0 million in FY 2011. In addition to this funding, NCI supported $112.4 million in breast cancer research in FY 2009 and 2010 using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).³

Examples of NCI Activities Relevant to Breast Cancer

• The Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment (Rx), or TAILORx, is determining whether genes associated with risk of recurrence in women with early-stage breast cancer can be used to identify the most appropriate and effective treatments for these women.
• The Integrative Cancer Biology Program combines experimental and clinical research with mathematical modeling to gain new insights into cancer biology, prevention, diagnostics, and treatments. Six centers are developing breast cancer computational models.
• NCI and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences are jointly funding four Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Centers (BCERCs) to conduct transdisciplinary research on the effects of early environmental exposures on breast development and breast cancer risk.
• The Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool helps health professionals assess a woman’s risk of developing invasive breast cancer. The interactive tool is updated as new research results become available and has been updated to include African-American women and Asian and Pacific Islander women in the United States.
• The Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium is a research resource for investigators assessing breast cancer screening practices and their relation to stage at diagnosis, survival, and breast cancer mortality. Seven mammography registries that link to pathology and/or tumor registries are part of the Consortium.
• Twelve breast-cancer-specific Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) are moving results from the laboratory to the clinical setting. The SPOREs support research in the development of novel agents, technologies, and markers for better diagnosis, prognosis, screening, prevention, and treatment of breast cancer.

Selected Advances in Breast Cancer Research

• Scientists discovered a new biological role for BRCA1 and a potential therapeutic target in BRCA1-mutant breast tumors. Published September 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• Combining chemotherapy with the targeted agent trastuzumab extends survival in women with HER2-positive breast cancer. Published October 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• Researchers discovered an inherited genetic mutation in a gene whose product interacts with BRCA1 and is associated with increased risk of breast cancer in some families. Published February 2012. [PubMed Abstract]
• A gene expression study revealed a microRNA signature that differentiates invasive breast ductal carcinoma from ductal carcinoma in situ. Published February 2012. [PubMed Abstract]
• See this PubMed list of selected free full-text journal articles on NCI-supported research relevant to breast cancer. You can also search PubMed for additional scientific articles.

Additional Resources for Breast Cancer

• What You Need To Know About™ Breast Cancer
  Describes treatment options, types of cancer doctors, second opinion, follow-up care, and sources of support for someone recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Breast Cancer Home Page
  Information about breast cancer treatment, prevention, genetics, causes, screening, clinical trials, research and statistics from the National Cancer Institute.
• BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing Fact Sheet
  A fact sheet about the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, what to do if a person tests positive for one of these alterations, and consequences of genetic testing.
• Breast Cancer Treatment (PDQ®)
  Expert-reviewed information summary about the treatment of breast cancer.
• Clinical Trials for Breast Cancer

 

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• ¹ Cancer Trends Progress Report, in 2010 dollars.
• ² The estimated NCI investment is based on funding associated with a broad range of peer-reviewed scientific activities. For additional information on research planning and budgeting at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), see About NIH.
• ³ For more information regarding ARRA funding at NCI, see Recovery Act Funding at NCI.
• ⁴ Scientific Area Codes
• ⁵ NCI Funded Research Portfolio