October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Unfortunately, several of us at Adaptive Data Networks know someone – a mother, wife, daughter, relative, or friend – that has been affected by this horrific disease. This places the core issue of cancer awareness at the top of our list when it comes to charitable giving.

Breast cancer remains “the most common cancer” for American women according to Cancer.org. More than 250,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year. In spite of this, we believe it's important to highlight the achievements made since Breast Cancer Awareness Month awareness month's inception in 1993:

1. Research conducted since 1993 has led scientists directly to breast cancer stem cells, the very core of the disease, and continue to explore ways to target these stem cells.
2. Breast cancer is not one, but many diseases – Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-positive, Triple Negative – and each major subtype can be split into many different subtypes. This discovery, in particular, opens doors to individualized treatment plans, allowing for greater success and fewer side effects.
3. The understanding that genetics play a significant role in breast cancer development and growth, as well as how gene mutations can be supportive of this disease, have allowed for the creation of a database of breast cancer genes. This database is referenced by scientists the world over looking for a cure.
4. In addition to genetics and the inner workings of the cells, harnessing the body's own immune system is key to the ongoing fight against breast cancer. Researchers have gained an understanding of the tumor's environment and identified classes of immune cells that may be employed to block further growth.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation website has a more comprehensive list. While we focus on the list provided specifically by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, there are several other equally worthy foundations needing our support such as The National Breast Cancer Foundation and Bright Pink.

This progress would not be possible without further donations. We implore our customers and social followers to donate what they can to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation or other high-quality foundations. To donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, please visit: https://give.bcrf.org/checkout/donation?eid=31404.