Breast cancer statistics are a useful tool for anyone wishing to gain a basic understanding of breast cancer. More specific breast cancer statistics can also direct the course of medicine's focus on breast cancer, in terms of treatment, awareness, research, and other major aspects of this condition. A number of prominent organizations research and publish breast cancer statistics on a routine basis, so that consumers have access to this important information.

The following are some basic breast cancer statistics to help you become familiar with this leading type of cancer.

- According to World Health Organization breast cancer statistics, 1.2 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.

- Behind skin cancer, breast cancer is the number one female cancer. Behind lung cancer, breast cancer is the leading cancer killer for women.

- According to American Cancer Society breast cancer statistics, 211,240 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005. Another 58,490 American women will be diagnosed with in situ breast cancer. Approximately 1,690 cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men in 2005. This is a total of 271, 420 Americans affected by breast cancer in just one year.

- In 2005, according to the same breast cancer statistics source, 40,410 women and 460 men will die of breast cancer.

- One out of ten women will develop breast cancer by the age of 80. One in 54 women will develop breast cancer by the age of 50. One out of 235 women will develop the disease by the age of 40. Seventy-seven percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50.

- Only 66.9 percent of American women over the age of 40 have had a mammogram within the last two years.

Breast cancer statistics also provide general information about survival rates. Two of the common ways these breast cancer statistics are formulated is 1) general rates and 2) survival rates based on breast cancer stages. The first chart shows overall survival rates in time and the second shows a five-year survival rate by stage of breast cancer.