About Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and the number of breast cancers diagnosed each year has been rising slowly but steadily. About 130 breast cancers diagnosed every day (48,000 per year).

Women in the UK have about a 1 in 8 chance of getting breast cancer in their lifetime. 

About a third of breast cancers are diagnosed through the national breast screening programme and it is estimated that breast cancer screening saves about 1000 lives per year.

It is estimated that currently there are just over half a million women living in the UK who have been previously treated for breast cancer (that is about 2% of women in the UK, 3,000 women in Nottingham).

The chances of surviving breast cancer have increased considerably in the past 25 years. Currently about 2 in every 3 women with breast cancer survive their disease (die of something else other than breast cancer) and nearly 4 in every 5 are currently expected to still be alive 10 years after diagnosis.