Dr. Arif Kamal, chief patient officer for the American Cancer Society, says there have been great strides in breast cancer awareness over the last 40 years, with mortality rates dropping by 40% as a result of earlier detection.

But there are still plenty of things people don't know when it comes to monitoring their own risk.

Here's what to know:

Know your own risk

In the United States, 1 in 8 women, about 12%, will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. But this number can rise to 20% based on an individual's health and family history.

Risk factors:

What is dense breast tissue?

Having dense breast tissue is one of the biggest risk factors for breast cancer, and it's something most women have never heard of.

Having dense breast tissue makes detection more difficult by creating a h

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