Breast Cancer Research Highlights
The American Cancer Society (ACS) helps people with breast cancer in every community. Our research programs have played a role in many of the prevention, screening, and treatment advances that save lives from breast cancer today. And, we continue to fund research to help save even more lives in the future.
Current Status - In Brief
Breast Cancer Continues to Increase
Since the mid 2000s, slight increases in breast cancer incidence rates may be partly due to more women having obesity, fewer children, or their first baby after 30.
Risk & Prevention Studies
The CARRIERS Studies
The United States-based Cancer Risk Estimates Related to Susceptibility (CARRIERS) consortium was established to determine the risk of cancers associated with mutations in the known predisposition genes.
Several ACS staff scientists and ACS grantees have contributed to the work.
“The ACS Cancer Prevention Studies have played a role in identifying or validating every known common genetic variant for breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers. This was the first large study to look at the prevalence of breast-cancer predisposition genes in the general population.”
Glossary for Nonscientists
Featured Term: Cancer Predisposition Genes
Genes that are vulnerable to cancer-causing changes (mutations), which are sometimes inherited from a parent. Several dozen cancer-predisposition genes have been identified, and about 5% to 10% of all cancers result directly from those inherited.
For example, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are inherited cancer predisposition genes, and mutations on them increase the risk of developing certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and prostate.
Screening & Early Detection Studies
NEW
Access to Digital Mammography in the US:
A Study in Pictures
Play the video to see how the availability of digital mammography increased across the US from 2001 to 2014. The green dots on this graphic show places where people could be screened with the new technology within a 20-minute drive. The orange X’s show where digital mammography technology is available with a longer drive. Orange represents access to film-only mammography. (Alaska, Hawaii, and Washington DC were not included in the study.)
Read on to learn more about the findings of this study.
Treatment & Reducing Metastasis Studies
Research on Survivorship
Striking Breast Cancer Statistics About . . .
The Value of Mammograms
Racial Disparities
See Full Reports on Breast Cancer Statistics & Facts
ACS Breast Cancer Research News
We Fund Cancer Researchers Across the US
The ACS funds scientists who conduct research about breast cancer at medical schools, universities, research institutes, and hospitals throughout the United States. We use a rigorous and independent peer review process to select the most innovative research projects proposals to fund.
The grant statistics to the left are as of August 1, 2023.