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Breast Cancer Awareness
Month: Q&A
Q: How many new cases
of breast cancer were
estimated in the United
States in 2009?
A: According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), an estimated 192,370 new cases
of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States last year. Approximately
1,910 new cases are expected in men. The ACS also reports that an estimated 40,610 breast cancer deaths are
expected in 2009 (40,170 women, 440 men).
Q: How common is breast cancer in the United States?
A: Breast cancer is the most
common cancer in women,
aside from skin cancer.
Q: What is advanced breast cancer?
A: Breast cancer is considered advanced when it has spread from its original site to distant areas of the body. Physicians will
look at a number of factors to determine the stage of breast cancer, including tumor size, lymph node involvement, and
whether the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Once the stage of the disease is determined, there are two different
ways advanced breast cancer can be classified: locally advanced or metastatic.
http://nbcam.org/ | 
