OCTOBER:

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the United States.^1,2,3 This article summarizes what federal health agencies and national guideline groups say about breast cancer risk, warning signs and screening. Each statement is numbered to a public source listed at the bottom of the page.

A 1998 CDC report stated that “October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.”¹ A presidential proclamation designated October 2024 as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,² and the White House issued a message on the observance on October 10, 2025.³

Breast cancer by the numbers

The CDC reports that breast cancer is the second most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.⁴

• The National Cancer Institute’s SEER program reports American Cancer Society projections of 321,910 new cases of female breast cancer in 2026, 15.2% of all new cancer cases in the U.S.⁵
• The same projections estimate 42,140 deaths from the disease in 2026.⁵
• Based on 2021–2023 data, approximately 13.0 percent of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime.⁵
• The median age at diagnosis is 64.⁵
• About 1 out of every 100 breast cancers diagnosed in the United States is found in a man.⁶

SEER also reports five-year relative survival by stage at diagnosis. It defines relative survival as “an estimate of the percentage of patients who would be expected to survive the effects of their cancer,” and notes that it “excludes the risk of dying from other causes.”⁵

SEER reports that 64.0% of female breast cancers are diagnosed at the localized stage. It also notes that because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they “cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient.”⁵

Risk factors

The CDC lists these risk factors for breast cancer that a person cannot change:⁷

• Getting older (most breast cancers are diagnosed after age 50)
• Genetic mutations, such as inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes
• Reproductive history, such as starting menstrual periods early or starting menopause later
• Having dense breasts
• A personal history of breast cancer or certain noncancerous breast diseases
• A family history of breast or ovarian cancer
• Previous radiation therapy to the chest or breasts before age 30
• Exposure to the drug diethylstilbestrol (DES)

The CDC lists these as risk factors that can be changed:⁷

• Not being physically active
• Being overweight or having obesity after menopause
• Taking hormones, including forms of hormone replacement therapy that include both estrogen and progesterone during menopause, and some birth control pills
• Reproductive history, such as having a first pregnancy after age 30, not breastfeeding, or never having a full-term pregnancy
• Drinking alcohol

“Most women have some risk factors, but most women do not get breast cancer.”Centers for Disease Control and Prevention⁷

The CDC also states that “having a risk factor does not mean you will get the disease, and not all risk factors have the same effect.”⁷

Ways to lower risk, according to the CDC

The CDC lists these ways to lower the risk of breast cancer:⁸

• Keeping a healthy weight
• Being physically active
• Choosing not to drink alcohol, or drinking less alcohol
• For people taking, or told to take, hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills, asking a doctor about the risks
• Breastfeeding, if possible
• For people with a family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, talking to a doctor about other ways to lower risk

In 2019, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that primary care clinicians assess women with a personal or family history of breast, ovarian, tubal or peritoneal cancer, or an ancestry associated with BRCA1/2 gene mutations, using a brief familial risk assessment tool, and that women with a positive result receive genetic counseling and, if indicated after counseling, genetic testing (Grade B). It recommended against routine risk assessment, genetic counseling or genetic testing for women without these histories or ancestry (Grade D). The Task Force’s website notes that this topic is being updated.⁹ According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 60% of women who inherit a harmful change in BRCA1 or BRCA2 will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, compared with about 13% of women in the general population.¹⁰

Warning signs

The CDC lists these warning signs of breast cancer:¹¹

• New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit)
• Thickening or swelling of part of the breast
• Irritation or dimpling of breast skin
• Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast
• Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood
• Any change in the size or the shape of the breast
• Pain in any area of the breast

The CDC notes that “some people do not have any signs or symptoms at all,” and that these symptoms “can happen with other conditions that are not cancer.” It advises anyone with signs or symptoms to see a doctor right away.¹¹

For men, the CDC lists the most common symptoms as a lump or swelling in the breast; redness or flaky skin in the breast; irritation or dimpling of breast skin; nipple discharge; and pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.⁶

What the screening guidelines say

The CDC describes a mammogram as “an x-ray of the breast.”¹²

In its final recommendation released April 30, 2024, the USPSTF “recommends biennial screening mammography for women aged 40 to 74 years” (Grade B). It found the evidence insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening mammography in women 75 or older, and of supplemental screening with breast ultrasound or MRI for women found to have dense breasts on an otherwise negative mammogram (Grade I for both).¹³

The USPSTF recommendation applies to people assigned female at birth who are 40 or older and at average risk of breast cancer. It does not apply to people with a genetic marker or syndrome associated with a high risk of breast cancer, a history of high-dose radiation therapy to the chest at a young age, or a previous breast cancer or high-risk breast lesion on a prior biopsy. It does apply to women with factors associated with an increased risk, such as a family history of breast cancer in a first-degree relative, or dense breasts.¹³ The CDC notes that “different screening recommendations may be used for women at higher than average risk.”¹²

The American Cancer Society’s recommendations differ. For women at average risk, it says that women between 40 and 44 have the option to start yearly mammograms, that women 45 to 54 should get mammograms every year, and that women 55 and older can switch to every other year or continue yearly. It says screening should continue as long as a woman is in good health and is expected to live at least 10 more years.¹⁴

The National Cancer Institute notes that, depending on the result of a mammogram, a patient “may be called back for further imaging or a biopsy,” and that “most people who are called back are not found to have breast cancer.”¹⁵

Dense breasts

According to the FDA, “dense breast tissue can make cancers more difficult to detect on a mammogram,” and dense breasts “have been identified as a risk factor for developing breast cancer.”¹⁶

Under FDA rules that took effect in September 2024, mammography facilities must provide each patient with a written summary containing information about their breast density.¹⁶

Insurance coverage for mammograms

HealthCare.gov states that all Marketplace health plans and many other plans must cover a “breast cancer screening mammogram, with or without clinical breast examination, every 1-2 years for women 40 years and older” without charging a copayment or coinsurance. It adds that these services are generally covered at no cost when provided by an in-network medical provider, that “coverage may vary,” and that “$0 cost isn’t guaranteed in all cases.”¹⁷

For Medicare, Part B covers screening mammograms once every 12 months for women 40 or older, and one baseline mammogram for women between 35 and 39. Medicare.gov states that patients pay nothing for these tests if the provider accepts assignment. For diagnostic mammograms, patients pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after meeting the Part B deductible.¹⁸

The CDC offers free or low-cost mammograms through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program,¹² which helps women with low incomes who do not have adequate insurance get breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostic and treatment services.¹⁹

Prestige Weight Loss & Wellness provides concierge primary care and medical weight loss in Fort Lauderdale. The practice does not perform mammograms on site. See the practice’s services.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace a conversation with a licensed health care professional about your own health. In an emergency, call 911.