Breast cancer deaths have dropped nearly 40% since 1989

Early detection and improved treatments for breast cancer have resulted in an almost 40% drop in fatalities between 1989 and 2015, saving 322,600 lives, according to the Washington Post. The NYT notes that breast cancer is "the most common cancer diagnosed in U.S. women and the second-leading cause of death after lung cancer....about 252,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year."

One more thing: While the gap in death rates between white and African American women decreased, in 2015 African American women were still dying from breast cancer at a 39% higher rate than white women.