According to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, on January 1, 2008, in the United States there were approximately 2,632,005 women alive who have received a diagnosis of breast cancer. Excluding skin cancer, breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the US.
It is estimated that 230,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer (cancer that has spread from where it started in the breast into surrounding, healthy tissue) will be diagnosed among women in the US in 2011. In addition to invasive cancers, 57,650 new cases of in situ breast cancer will be diagnosed; approximately 49,003 of which will be ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
