National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Each October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings renewed attention to a disease that affects thousands of families. For medical societies and health care professionals, it is a meaningful opportunity to help patients move from awareness to timely, reliable diagnostic care. The CDC's US Cancer Statistics Reporting reports 288,494 new breast cancers among US females in 2023 and 43,402 deaths in 2024. Among cases diagnosed from 2019 through 2023, 66.5% were localized, 25.2% were regional, and 6% were distant. Five-year relative survival was 99.6%, 86.6%, and 32.9%, respectively. These numbers underscore an encouraging point: timely detection, diagnosis, staging, and referral can make a meaningful difference in a patient’s care journey. 

The step from screening to diagnostic evaluation is especially important. The USPSTF recommends biennial mammography for average-risk patients ages 40 through 75. Since September 10, 2024, the FDA’s Mammography Quality Standards Act regulations have also required breast density notifications and standardized final assessment language. Together, these guidelines can help clinicians communicate more clearly, encourage timely follow-up, and give patients greater confidence about what comes next. 

When a screening study is abnormal or a patient notices a new breast finding, diagnostic mammography with targeted ultrasound is usually the first step. MRI may also be valuable for evaluating the extent of disease and identifying high-risk indicators, although it does not replace a focused initial evaluation. The ACR BI-RADS framework gives clinicians a shared language for communicating findings, assessments, and next steps. Clinical and imaging findings should align, and imaging-pathology concordance should be clearly documented after sampling. As the National Cancer Institute’s Diagnostic Overview notes, a biopsy is required for a definitive diagnosis. With a clear and coordinated process, patients can receive answers sooner and move forward with greater confidence. 

For physicians, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is about more than starting a conversation about screening. It is also a chance to strengthen every handoff that turns an abnormal finding into an accurate, timely diagnosis. How long are patients waiting for a biopsy? Is concordance review documented, and is biomarker testing complete before the next treatment decision? October offers a timely opportunity to ask these questions, close gaps, and create a clearer, more supportive path forward for every patient who may need it. 

For additional resources, including a Breast Cancer Awareness Month toolkit, visit The National Breast Cancer Foundation's official 2026 launch page