09/28/2026
Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide, accounting for approximately 2.3 million new cases annually and representing a leading cause of cancer mortality. In the United States and Canada, approximately one woman in eight will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime. Yet despite its prevalence, breast cancer also represents one of modern medicine’s greatest success stories, with mortality rates steadily declining over recent decades due to advances in screening, earlier detection, and increasingly effective treatment.
Today, mammography, tomosynthesis, ultrasound, MRI, and increasingly risk-based screening protocols are identifying cancers at earlier and more treatable stages. Women who participate in regular screening programs experience significantly lower breast cancer mortality than those who do not.
There is growing recognition that breast cancer risk is not uniform. Family history, inherited genetic mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, prior chest irradiation, breast density, reproductive history, and lifestyle factors can all significantly influence risk
