According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1,500 people die each day in the U.S. from cancer. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women. An estimated 178,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer among women are forecast this year. Approximately 40,460 women will die from the disease.

What you should know about breast cancer:

• The two most significant risk factors for breast cancer are being female and getting older.

• While rare, younger women can develop breast cancer. However, fewer than 5% of all new incidences of breast cancer are diagnosed occur in women under age 40.

• A 20-year-old woman has a 1 in 1,985 chance of getting breast cancer; that increases to 1 in 68 by age 40. The odds of ever getting breast cancer during her lifetime is one in eight.

• Although breast cancer incidence is lower among African American women, they have a higher breast cancer death rate than Caucasian women.

• Asian American and Pacific Islander women have lower incidence and mortality rates for breast cancer than Caucasian women. However, for those born in the U.S., the breast cancer risk is similar to that of Caucasian women.

• Even though Hispanic/Latina women have lower breast cancer rates, their decline in the death rate has not fallen as much as Caucasian women, potentially because they are less likely to be screened and, therefore, diagnosed at later stages of breast cancer.

• Breast cancer incidence and mortality are lower for women in most Native American tribes than for Caucasians, however, the death rate has risen since 1970 most likely due to the lack of ready access to early detection.

• Breast cancer in men is rare, but it does happen. In 2007, it is estimated 2,030 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 450 will die from it.

• While many women with breast cancer had no family history of the disease, a woman whose mother, sister or daughter had breast cancer is generally at increased risk.

• Many women diagnosed with breast cancer have no known risk factors outside of their gender.

• Breastfeeding may decrease a woman’s risk of getting premenopausal breast cancer.

• There is no way to absolutely prevent breast cancer, although the anti-estrogen drug tamoxifen may help reduce the risk.