Breast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer affecting cisgender (cis) women of any age, race, or ethnicity.
More than 240,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the U.S. While it's possible for anyone to be diagnosed with breast cancer, the disease occurs almost entirely in cis women.
But because Black and Latinx cis women face more barriers to accessing health care in the U.S. than white women, they're more likely to be diagnosed at later stages, when cancer is more advanced and less treatable.
Breast cancer screenings and mammograms help detect breast cancer in the earliest and most treatable stages — they save lives.
Planned Parenthood provides life-saving breast exams at every one of the more than 600 Planned Parenthood health centers across the country. Here are the answers to common questions we get about breast cancer, getting screened, and when to get a
mammogram:
What's breast cancer?
Breast cancer develops when cells in your breast grow out of control and form tumors. Breast cancer can also spread to other parts of your body. So it's important to get regular checkups and cancer screenings.
