Note to Website Visitors: The information contained in this FAQ section of our website is, for the most part, reproduced from a guide prepared by the New York State Department of Health in cooperation with the California Department of Health.

Q. What Causes Breast Cancer?

• Nobody knows for certain why some women develop breast cancer and others do not. What is known:

• You should not feel guilty. You have not done anything "wrong" in your life that caused breast cancer.

• You CANNOT "catch" breast cancer from other women who have the disease.

• Breast cancer is NOT caused by stress or by an injury to the breast.

• Most women who develop breast cancer DO NOT have any known risk factors or a history of the disease in their families.

• Getting older DOES increase your risk of getting breast cancer, starting at the age of 40 and continuing into your 80s.

Q. Who Gets Breast Cancer?

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women today. It even occurs in a small number of men.

• In New York State, close to 13,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

• In the United States, more than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.

• All ages and races are affected: 1 in 9 white, 1 in 11 African-American, and 1 in 20 Hispanic and Asian women will develop breast cancer during their lifetimes.

• You have more choices for treatment when breast cancer is found early. Also, treatments have changed. Today, many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer DO NOT have to lose a breast. Even when breast cancer is not found early, you still have choices. Because there are new ways to treat breast cancer, it is more important than ever for you to learn all you can. Working with a team of specialists, you play a key role in choosing your treatment.