Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women, aside from skin cancer. About 40,000 women will die from it this year, and 232,670 women will be diagnosed with it, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Twelve percent of women will develop invasive breast cancer at some point in their lives. If you're a woman, there's a 1 in 36 chance that breast cancer will be the cause of your death – a number second only to lung cancer. 

The statistics are real and frightening. There is good news, however: With increased awareness, earlier detection and improved treatment, breast cancer death rates have declined since 1989, and this trend continues with significant advances in science and technology. 

In fact, research shows that 3D mammography, one of the newest and most promising developments in screening and detection, is making an incredible difference in breast cancer detection – increasing detection rates by as much as 50 percent.