Awareness month tends to focus on the fight. There is also a lot of good news, and it is worth knowing.
This article is general health information, not medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional about your own situation.
Deaths have been falling for over thirty years
Breast cancer death rates in the United States have dropped steadily since about 1990, by more than 40 percent overall according to the American Cancer Society. Earlier detection, better screening and better treatments each get part of the credit.
Survival keeps improving
For cancer that has not spread beyond the breast, the five-year relative survival rate is about 99 percent. Across all stages of invasive breast cancer it is around 90 percent at five years and in the mid-80s at ten. Roughly two thirds of cases are found at the localized stage, which is the single best argument for screening.
Treatments now target the tumor
The big shift is precision. Antibody-drug conjugates such as trastuzumab deruxtecan carry chemotherapy directly to HER2-positive cells and have shown large improvements in advanced disease. Immunotherapy is changing outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer. Genetic profiling of the tumor increasingly decides who needs chemotherapy at all.
Screening still makes the difference
Women who attend regular screening have a substantially lower risk of dying from breast cancer than those who do not. None of the progress above helps a cancer that is not found. Our mammogram guide covers when to start.
What you can do
- Know your family history. Here is how to start.
- Learn your normal and check monthly.
- Do not wait for 40 if something changes. You know your body; advocate for it.
Frequently asked questions
Is breast cancer curable?
Caught early, the large majority of women are treated successfully and go on to live full lives. Advanced disease is increasingly treatable as a long-term condition.
Why do death rates keep falling?
Earlier detection through screening and steadily better, more targeted treatments.