DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) – The American Cancer Society says a lesser known kind of breast cancer is rising in the United States. It’s called lobular breast cancer. Doctors say its harder to detect because it doesn’t usually present with lumps. The organization says more than 33,000 women will be diagnosed with it this year.

The latest report also found that if ranked on its own, the disease would be the seventh most common cancer among women in the U.S. Dr. Richard Deming with MercyOne Cancer Center says alcohol consumption is a possible risk factor, but there’s no absolute way to tell if there’s a connection. Deming believes the correlation with heavy drinking is strongly linked and says the likelihood increases the more you drink.

The University of Iowa says the state ranks number 4 in the incidence of alcohol-related cancers. The Iowa Cancer Registry says in its 2025 report that breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the state.

This month marks 40 Years of Breast Cancer Awareness month.