Breast cancer statistics at a glance

Year: 2012	Males	Females
Cases	200	22,700
Incidence rate (per 100,000)*	1	96
Incidence rank	-	1st
Deaths	55	5,100
Death rate (per 100,000)*	<0.5	19
Death rank	-	2nd
5-year relative survival (2004-2006)	79%	88%

*age-standardized to the 1991 Canadian Standard Population

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Canadian women (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer).

In 2012:

An estimated 22,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 5,100 will die of it.
An estimated 200 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 55 will die of it.
On average, 62 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer every day.
On average, 14 Canadian women will die of breast cancer every day.

Probability of developing or dying from breast cancer

One in 9 women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime and one in 29 will die of it.

Trends in breast cancer

The breast cancer incidence rate in Canada rose steadily from the early to the late 1980s, partly because of increased mammography use outside of organized screening programs and possibly from the use of HRT among post-menopausal women. The widespread implementation of organized breast cancer screening programs across Canada in the early 1990s further increased the detection of new breast cancer cases. Breast cancer death rates have declined in every age group since at least the mid 1980s.

Learn about the 4 most common cancer types

Detailed cancer statistics by province/teritorry

Last modified on: 08 May 2012