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SHOW YOU CARE, BE MORE AWARE!
Celebrating Breast Cancer awareness month with information, resources, hope, & love!
My mom was a breast cancer survivor, and my mother-in-law still is, along with several other family members and friends. Therefore, this particular topic is very close to my heart.
What is breast cancer?
In a healthy body, natural systems control the creation, growth and death of cells. Cancer occurs when these systems don’t work right.
When cells don’t die at the normal rate, there’s more cell growth than cell death. This excess growth can form a tumor.
Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast divide and grow without their normal control.
Tumors in the breast tend to grow slowly. By the time a lump is large enough to feel, it may have been growing for as long as 10 years. Some tumors are aggressive and grow much faster.
About 70% to 80% of breast cancers begin in the milk ducts, about 10% to 15% begin in the lobules and a few begin in other breast tissues.
Information shared from www.komen.org
Breast cancer facts & statistics
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the US besides skin cancers. It accounts for about 1 in 3 new cancers in women each year.
The American Cancer Society's estimates for breast cancer in the US for 2026 are:
About 321,910 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.
About 60,730 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will be diagnosed.
About 42,140 women will die from breast cancer.
Breast cancer mainly occurs in middle-aged and older women. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 63. This means about half of breast cancers are diagnosed at a younger age, and about half are diagnosed at an older age. About 1 in 10 women diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 45.
*Information shared from www.cancer.org
Breast cancer differences by race and ethnicity
According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, “The numbers don’t lie. It is clear that race and ethnicity are major factors in the survivability of breast cancer. Though some research suggests biological factors may play a small role, the overwhelming causes are a lack of access to quality care and socio-economic inequalities.”
Who faces breast cancer disparities?
Black women
Hispanic women
Asian American and Pacific Islander women
Native American and Indigenous women
Rural women
Women in low-income communities
Men
Younger women
Immigrant communities
*Information shared from www.nationalbreastcancer.org
Male breast cancer facts
While breast cancer in men is rare, men do carry a higher breast cancer mortality rate than women, primarily because men are less likely to assume a lump is breast cancer and are overall less aware of breast cancer, which can cause a delay in seeking treatment.
Male breast cancer key highlights
Male breast cancer begins as a growth of malignant or cancerous cells in the breast tissue. All people, male and female, have breast tissue.
Men with breast cancer often find a lump in their breast tissue, commonly under the nipple.
Male breast cancer is rare, representing about 1% of total breast cancer cases.
Breast cancer in men may occur at any age, but is typically identified in men ages 60 to 70.
Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common type of breast cancer in men; this cancer begins in the milk ducts and spreads beyond the cells that line the breast ducts.
Treatment for male breast cancer often involves surgery to remove the cancerous tissue as well as chemotherapy and radiation.
Nearly all breast cancer in men is estrogen receptor positive (ER+), with treatment including hormonal therapy, just as in female breast cancer cases.
Factors that increase a man’s risk of breast cancer include family history of breast cancer, age, genetic mutations (such as BRCA1 or BRCA2), and higher estrogen levels.
Men should be familiar with how their breast tissue typically looks and feels so they can detect any changes in the tissue.
*Information shared from www.nationalbreastcancer.org
National Mammography Day 2026 - October 16
National Mammography Day is observed annually on the third Friday of every October, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This year, it will be celebrated on October 16, 2026.
National Mammography Day is important because it serves as a reminder and encouragement to women to get screened for breast cancer through receiving a mammogram.
When detected early, in the localized stage, the 5-year relative survival rate for breast cancer is 99%, and mammograms are key to the early detection of breast cancer.
Mammograms are one of the most effective tools for detecting early-stage breast cancer, including Stage 0 breast cancer, called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). DCIS often appears as small clusters of calcium deposits, known as microcalcifications, which are best detected with x-ray through mammography. Other breast cancer types can be found on a mammogram as well, such as the most common type of breast cancer, invasive ductal carcinoma.
*Information shared from www.nationalbreastcancer.org
A person is considered a cancer survivor from the time of diagnosis through the balance of life. There are many types of survivors, including those living with cancer and those free of cancer. What being a survivor means to you may change over time, and some people might prefer another term entirely to describe themselves.
- National Cancer Institute
Choosing daily, to: Support those fighting this battle, admire the journey of the survivors, honor those lost to this disease, and NEVER EVER give up hope!
For more insight on Breast Cancer Awareness month and more inspiration around health, wellness, and wellbeing, follow The Body Quarry on Instagram.
