Breast Cancer Risk Factors: Age

Age is an established risk factor for breast cancer.

Learn about other factors linked to the risk of breast cancer.

Breast cancer in women

The older a woman is, the more likely she is to get breast cancer.

Rates of breast cancer are low in women under 40. About 4% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. are younger than 40 [645].

Rates begin to increase after age 40 and are highest in women over age 70 (see Figure 2.1 below).

Age at diagnosis

From 2017 to 2021 (most recent data available), the median age of diagnosis of breast cancer for women in the U.S. was 63 [7]. The median is the middle value of a group of numbers, so about half of women with breast cancer are diagnosed before age 63 and about half are diagnosed after age 63.

The median age of breast cancer diagnosis varies by race and ethnicity.

Race and ethnicity	Median age of breast cancer diagnosis in women
Non-Hispanic White	65
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native	61
Non-Hispanic Black	61
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander	58
Hispanic	58
Source: 2017-2021 SEER data, 2024 [7]

For example, non-Hispanic Black women tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than non-Hispanic white women [7]. From 2017 to 2021 (most recent data available), the median age at diagnosis for non-Hispanic Black women was 61, compared to 65 for non-Hispanic white women [7].

Learn more about race, ethnicity and breast cancer risk.

Breast cancer in men

The older a man is, the more likely he is to get breast cancer.

Age at diagnosis

From 2017 to 2021 (most recent data available), the median age of diagnosis of breast cancer for men in the U.S. was 69 [8]. The median is the middle value of a group of numbers, so about half of men with breast cancer are diagnosed before age 69 and about half are diagnosed after age 69.

The median age of breast cancer diagnosis varies by race and ethnicity.

Race and ethnicity	Median age of breast cancer diagnosis in men
Non-Hispanic White	70
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander	66
Non-Hispanic Black	65
Hispanic	64
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native	Not available
Source: 2017-2021 SEER data, 2024 [8]

For example, non-Hispanic Black men tend to be diagnosed at a younger age than non-Hispanic white men [8]. From 2017 to 2021 (most recent data available), the median age at diagnosis for non-Hispanic Black men was 65, compared to 70 for non-Hispanic white men [8].

Learn more about breast cancer in men.

Learn more about race, ethnicity and breast cancer risk.

Why is age related to breast cancer risk?

The older we are, the more likely abnormal changes will occur in our cells. When many of these changes occur, cancer can develop.  

Figure 2.1 

Data source: SEER 2017-2021 [9] Note: Although this graph shows a rate of 0 in some age groups, there are a few cases of breast cancer in these age groups. However, the numbers are too small to appear on the scale used here.

Learn about other factors linked to the risk of breast cancer.

Updated 10/04/24