💕 Good News, Boobs First: Breast Cancer Survival Rates Are the Best They’ve Ever Been

Here at NOOD, we’re all about lifting and supporting—your boobs and your spirits. So today, we’re taking a moment to talk boobs in a different way. Specifically: breast cancer.

But don’t worry, this isn’t a scary post. It’s a hopeful one. Because thanks to earlier detection, better treatments, and a whole lot of research breakthroughs, more people are surviving breast cancer than ever before. And we think that’s something worth celebrating (preferably with a glass of wine and a self-check reminder).

🎉 The Stats That’ll Make You Smile

Let’s start with the best news:

• 💗 If breast cancer is caught early (before it spreads), the 5-year survival rate is now over 99%.
  
  

• 💪 Overall, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer in the U.S. is about 91%. That’s up big time from the 1970s, when it was closer to 75%.
  
  

• 📉 Breast cancer death rates have dropped by a massive 44% since 1989, meaning over half a million lives have been saved. (Yes, HALF A MILLION.)
  
  

Translation: more early detection, better meds, and smarter treatment = more people kicking cancer’s ass.

🧪 What’s Behind the Progress?

So what’s changed? A few amazing things:

• Mammograms are doing their job. Screening tech has gotten better, and people are catching cancers earlier—when they’re most treatable.
  
  

• Targeted treatments are changing lives. Fancy-sounding drugs like trastuzumab and pertuzumab are helping people with aggressive breast cancers live longer, healthier lives.
  
  

• We’re getting more personalized. Tests now help doctors figure out exactly who needs chemo—and who doesn’t—so treatments are smarter and kinder.
  
  

• More people are talking about it. And when we talk, we check. And when we check, we catch things early. Power in awareness, always.
  
  

  

✨ But Let's Keep It Real

While these numbers are incredible, they don’t tell the whole story. Survival rates are still lower for some groups—especially Black women and those with less access to care. That’s something we all need to work on.

So as much as we’re celebrating, we’re also reminding ourselves that early detection is everything. That means doing your regular self-checks, booking that mammogram, and nudging your friends to do the same.

Sources:

• American Cancer Society: Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2024
  
  

• Susan G. Komen Foundation: Breast Cancer Statistics
  
  

• JAMA Network: Progress in Cancer Survival Rates