Breast cancer facts and figures
- Every day in Australia, more than 30 women discover they have breast cancer.
- Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women aged over 35 years — 29% of all cancers diagnosed.
- 9 out of 10 women who get breast cancer do not have a family history of the disease.
- About 1 in 10 women in NSW will develop breast cancer by age 74 years.
- Age is the biggest risk factor in developing breast cancer: more than 70 per cent of cases occur in women over 50 years of age.
- 11,400 people (11,314 women and 86 men) were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
- The average age of diagnosis of breast cancer in women is 59 years.
- Currently in Australia, 100,000 women, their families and friends have had to cope or are still coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer and its consequences.
- Breast cancer is the most common cause of death from cancer in Australian women.
- Women aged 50–69 who have a breast screen every 2 years can reduce their chance of dying from breast cancer by at least 30 per cent.
- During the period 1994 to 1998, the 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer was 85%.
Last Reviewed: 24 January 2007
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