Today, it’s been 15 years since we lost Lyne. There’s not much to write that we haven’t mentioned in years past. She’s forever present in our minds and hearts, and we continue to feel blessed that we got to know her.
Let this instead serve as a reminder that overall, the average risk of a woman in the United States developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 13%. This means there is a 1 in 8 chance she will develop breast cancer. It also means there is a 7 in 8 chance she will never have the disease.
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Only lung cancer kills more women each year.
Breast cancer mainly occurs in middle-aged and older women. The median age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis is 62. This means half of the women who developed breast cancer are 62 years of age or younger when they are diagnosed. A very small number of women diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 45.
Breast cancer death rates have been decreasing steadily since 1989, for an overall decline of 43% through 2020. The decrease in death rates is believed to be the result of finding breast cancer earlier through screening and increased awareness, as well as better treatments. However, the decline has slowed slightly in recent years.
(in large parts from cancer.org)