This video is part of NCI's Did You Know? series, which highlights key topics and trends in cancer statistics.
Did you know that, in the United States, female breast cancer death rates are declining? According to NCI's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (or SEER) Program, significant decreases in breast cancer death rates over the past 10 years have been seen for all racial and ethnic groups combined. This includes white women and black women, two racial groups with the highest breast cancer death rates.
From 1975 to the early 1990s, female breast cancer death rates increased among both black women and white women. Beginning around 1990, breast cancer death rates began to decline among white women, followed by a decline in breast cancer death rates among black women around 1992. As of 2009, breast cancer death rates remain higher among black women than white women.
The decrease in female breast cancer deaths in the United States is encouraging news. The recent identification of genetic changes found in breast cancer tumors is also very promising because it may lead to the development of new breast cancer treatments.
Women should talk with their doctor about breast cancer screening and steps they can take to reduce their risk of breast cancer. If you are diagnosed with breast cancer, your doctor can help you decide on the best course of treatment and how to improve long-term survival.
For more about the Did You Know? series, please see http://seer.cancer.gov/statistics/videos/.
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