As Americans mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, a new report from the American Cancer Society shows both gains and setbacks when it comes to the deadly disease.

Breast cancer mortality rates overall have dropped by 44% since 1989, which means more than 500,000 breast cancer deaths were averted. However, breast cancer cases are increasing, rising by 1% annually during 2012-2021, with the steepest increase in women younger than 50 (1.4% per year) and Asian American/Pacific Islander women of any age (2.5%-2.7% per year).

“The encouraging news is breast cancer mortality rates continue to decrease thanks to advances in early detection and treatment,” said Angela Giaquinto, associate scientist, cancer surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study.

But future progress may be thwarted by increasing incidence, especially among younger women, and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as delayed diagnosis due to interruptions in screening.

“Get to know your own breasts. When you’re in the shower and you’re washing up, get to know them like the back of your hand. So that if something new crops up, you’ll notice it yourself early, and then you can see a health care provider to get the testing that you need,” said Barbara Dehn, NP, of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Annette Hammond of Columbia, South Carolina, knows this all too well, as she undergoes her second bout with cancer.

“I tell people, God has made me a different kind of girl,” she said with a smile.

She was diagnosed with blood cancer and stage 2 breast cancer in 2014.

She is one of the more than 4 million women in the U.S. who are currently being treated or have finished treatment for breast cancer.

“I really didn’t have any words,” Hammond said when she found out the breast cancer had returned, this time as stage 4. “I’ve done everything right. I did the checklist. I self-checked, got my mammograms, I did all these things right, kept my doctor’s appointments, did all of these things right.”

She is holding onto her faith to see her through.

Dehn suggests all women ages 40 and up get an annual mammogram. If breast cancer runs in your family, start testing earlier.

“There are some new medications for stage 4 breast cancer that are so promising that in the past, women who were diagnosed with stage 4 really had a very short lifespan to look forward to, and now it can be 10 or 15 more years,” Dehn said.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. women after skin cancer and the leading cause of cancer related death in Hispanic women. This year alone, an estimated 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women, and approximately 42,250 women are expected to die from the disease.

“Women today are a lot less likely to die from breast cancer, but alarming disparities still remain, especially for Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native American and Black women,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society. “These gaps need to be rectified through systematic efforts to ensure access to high-quality screening and treatment for every woman.”