Quick Facts

• Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in women.
• Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in Ontario women, and second only to lung cancer for cancer deaths. 
• The average Canadian woman has a 1 in 9 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime and a 1 in 27 chance of dying of the disease. 
•  In 2003, 22 women out of every 100,000 in the Simcoe Muskoka region died of breast cancer. 
• Close to 90% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease. 
• Older women are at greatest risk of getting breast cancer. 
• 80% of breast cancers are found in women over 50 years old.
• When breast cancer is caught early, the rates of successful treatment are much higher. 
• Mammography is the gold standard in breast screening and remains the most effective tool for detecting breast cancer early in the majority of women.
•  Many studies have shown that regular mammograms for women aged 50-69 reduce deaths from breast cancer by up to a third.
• Although it’s possible to reduce the risk there is no way yet to prevent breast cancer, but if found early, when it is very small, there is a good chance it can be cured.