New research published in the journal Cancer finds that more than 500,000 cancer deaths have been prevented in the past 30 years. One important factor is the advancement in screenings, such as mammograms.

Niki Kollia, 43, was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer when a mammogram detected tiny calcium deposits in her breasts. Kollia opted to have a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center. She is thankful for annual screenings, as without them, her cancer may not have been discovered until it had progressed.

“The amount of lives being saved is absolutely remarkable,” says Freya R. Schnabel, MD, Kollia’s doctor and the director of breast surgery at NYU Langone. She tells WCAX, “Screening plays a large role in early detection of breast cancer … to allow the patients who are diagnosed early to have better and more favorable treatment.”

Read more from WCAX.