Susan G. Komen® Underscores Importance of Knowing Your Breast Cancer Risk as New Data Shows Rise in Diagnoses for 2025

Accessibility and Affordability of Care is Exacerbating Systemic Barriers to Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment

DALLAS - Susan G. Komen^®, the world's leading breast cancer organization, today urged all women to commit to knowing their risk of breast cancer and work with their doctor to develop a personalized screening plan that is right for them. This call to action comes as new data reveal a rise in breast cancer diagnoses for 2025 and an alarming 1.4% annual increase in cases among women under 50 since the mid-2000s.This trend far outpaces the 1% annual rise in diagnoses for all women and underscores the need to prioritize breast health.

At the same time, financial barriers continue to hinder timely follow-up care for many women, compounding the challenges of early detection and treatment. Unfortunately, out-of-pocket cost sharing for follow-up tests and imaging - needed to confirm or rule out breast cancer - has increased significantly, rising by 8% between 2018 and 2023.

"The trend is clear: costs are rising, and access to health care is shrinking," said Victoria Smart, SVP of Mission at Susan G. Komen. "Now is the time to eliminate barriers to care, ensuring everyone has access to the full continuum of breast health care when and where they need it."

The American Cancer Society's annual Cancer Facts and Figures report estimates that 316,950 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025, up from 310,720 in 2024. The number of breast cancer deaths in women is expected to decline slightly - from 42,250 in 2024 to 42,170 in 2025. The reality remains that one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

"No one is immune from breast cancer, so everyone - regardless of age, race, family history and genetics - must commit to regular screening so cancers can be caught early, when we have the most treatment options and the highest chance of survival," said Victoria Smart, SVP of Mission at Susan G. Komen. "Despite a slight decline in the mortality rate from 2024, breast cancer remains a public health crisis requiring urgent attention, investment and collaboration to ensure that it no longer claims lives unnecessarily."

Susan G. Komen offers information, support, and resources to help women understand their personal risk of breast cancer, and recommends every woman have a conversation with her health care provider about what she can do to lower her risk of breast cancer and develop a screening plan that is right for her. For women under age 40 at average risk of breast cancer, having these conversations is extremely important since there are no guidelines to suggest when and how often screening should occur.

"Bold action is essential to saving lives," Smart added. "We've made significant strides in breast cancer detection and treatment, and together, we can continue to save more lives. We must also remember: every diagnosis represents a life disrupted, a family affected, and a community impacted. Until we end deaths from breast cancer, our work is far from done."