Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we'll take a look at the cutting-edge research that is helping physicians identify this disease faster and treat it more effectively.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States after skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. An estimated 287,850 women in the U.S. will be newly diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2022, and about 51,400 will be newly diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), also called "stage 0."

It's estimated that 43,250 women will die from the disease this year.

Each week in October, we'll publish a new article highlighting the crucial advancements that are paving the way for a better future for breast cancer detection and treatment, as well as the disease's survivors. First, we'll look at an exciting new blood test being developed that can detect breast cancer earlier than mammograms. Then we'll take a deeper look at HER2-low, the recently announced new breast cancer subset. We'll also discuss the sexual side effects of breast cancer, why vaginal estrogen therapy is safe for postmenopausal survivors, and how body position during radiation treatment affects results.

Join us as we look toward the positive developments the not-so-distant future holds for everyone affected by breast cancer.