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Listen to other Patient Power webcastsBreast Cancer Facts
Breast cancer is a malignant (cancerous) tumor that forms in the tissues of one or both breasts. Although breast cancer primarily affects women, it can also occur in children and men. For the most part, the content in this section describes breast cancer in women.
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), in the United States breast cancer is the most common cancer among women and is the second leading cause of cancer death in women (after lung cancer). In their most recent findings, the ACS estimated that 182,460 new cases of breast cancer were diagnosed among women in 2008. Breast cancer affects one in eight women, but it can be a highly curable disease if detected and treated early.
