Every October, you likely see a wealth of information about breast cancer. And that is a good thing. Awareness surrounding breast cancer is incredibly important as early detection, often through screening, can catch the disease when it is most treatable.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), breast cancer is the most common cancer in American women, except for skin cancers. The average risk of a woman in the U.S. developing breast cancer sometime in her life is about 12%, or a 1 in 8 chance. The chance that a woman will die from breast cancer is about 2.6%, or a 1 in 38 chance.

“Patients are experiencing better outcomes as a result of early diagnosis, state-of-the-art treatment options, and less extensive surgery,” said Catherine Tuite, MD, Section Chief of Breast Radiology and Associate Professor of Diagnostic Imaging at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Today, there are more than 3.1 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., including women still being treated and those who have finished treatment. “A heightened awareness of the disease has unquestionably led to a greater number of women being screened for breast cancer,” said Tuite. “Patients are experiencing better outcomes as a result of early diagnosis, state-of-the-art treatment options and less extensive surgery.”