Over a million Americans are diagnosed with cancer each year, including about 230,000 cases of breast cancer—which is expected to rank highest among all newly diagnosed cancer cases in women in 2012.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s take a look at breast cancer in Virginia. This year, nearly 5,500 Virginia women will be diagnosed with breast cancer—the most common cancer among Virginia women.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Virginia’s breast cancer rate is about 125 of every 100,000 women, which puts the commonwealth in the top 50 percent of the country. Virginia’s breast cancer death rate is about 24 of every 100,000 women, which puts the commonwealth in the top 25 percent of the country.

In Virginia, breast cancer incidence is only slightly higher among African-American women, affecting about 126 of every 100,000 women, and is lower among Hispanic women, affecting about 87 of every 100,000 women. Death rates, however, are higher among Virginia’s African-American women, about 34 of every 100,000 women, and are lower among Virginia’s Hispanic women, about 13 of every 100,000 women.

These statistics follow national trends of these three groups, in which non-Hispanic white women have the highest incidence of breast cancer and second-highest death rate, African-American women have the second-highest incidence of breast cancer and the highest death rate, and Hispanic women have both the lowest incidence of breast cancer and the lowest death rate.

It is worth noting, breast cancer also affects men, and about 2,100 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, with about 410 men dying from the disease.