Utah’s Breast Cancer Survival Rate Is Stunning In 2023

In honor of breast cancer awareness, this month I wanted to see how we're doing in our battle in Utah.  As 1 in 8 women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, this is a critical battle.

Breast Cancer Incidence:

Utah boasts a lower breast cancer incidence rate, with 113.3 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2020, compared to the U.S. rate of 129.7 per 100,000 in 2019. Over the past two decades, both Utah and the U.S. have seen a decline in breast cancer incidence rates.

This is very good news in itself, but Utah stands above the nation with an even more impressive statistic. Utah's survival rate is second best in the nation!

Survival Rate:

New York - Survival Rate of 74.70% of the 123,810 diagnosed cases
Utah - Survival Rate of 73.19% of the 13,840 diagnosed cases
New Jersey - Survival Rate of 72.88% of the 56,150 diagnosed cases
Connecticut - Survival Rate of 72.57% of the 23,480 diagnosed cases
District of Columbia - Survival Rate of 71.88% of the 3,520 diagnosed cases

In Utah, the survival rate has improved by .9% in the last 3 years.

Room for Improvement:

This is in no way to say that there is not still work to be done. In fact, Utah could improve its breast cancer screening statistics. Data from the latest Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey noted that only 62.7% of Utah women aged 40 years or older reported having a mammogram in the last two years. In comparison, the average screening rate for US women in the same group was 69.0%.

So, yes let's continue the fight, increase ability and resources for regular screening, but as we strive to ensure 100% cure across the nation, let's take a minute and celebrate a pretty impressive benchmark of success.