According to scientists, warning signs of breast cancer can be seen in breast milk and blood.
Doctors hope the discovery could lead to breast cancer testing in women who aren’t regularly offered mammograms.
The discovery, made by experts at Clarkson University in New York, was made by analyzing breast milk samples from six women.
The three battled one of the most common forms of breast cancer, called invasive ductal cancer.
Women with the disease have similar levels of 23 specific proteins in their breast milk compared to those without cancer.
One of the authors, Danielle Whitham, said the proteins are “also detectable in the blood,” meaning they don’t just apply to pregnant women or new mothers.
He said the findings — if demonstrated in larger studies — mean that “screening could potentially be done in women of all ages.” Mammograms are not generally recommended for low-risk women under the age of 40.
The researchers said today that mammograms could be replaced by breast milk and blood tests in the future. Charts: How to use breast milk or blood tests to show if a woman has breast cancer
About 400,000 women are invited to have a mammogram every year in the UK. Every woman between the ages of 50-70 is invited to a screening every three years.
About 2 million women are invited to have a mammogram every year in the UK. The NHS invites women aged 50 to 71 every three years.
Women in the United States are encouraged to attend screenings every two years between the ages of 40 and 54 before moving on to screenings until age 75.
Around 55,000 women and hundreds of men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK.
Approximately 288,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year.
More than 85% survive the disease for five years or more. But early detection of cancers is still crucial, which may help with new tests.
Ms Witham said, “While mammograms are useful for early detection of breast cancer, they are not generally recommended for low-risk women under the age of 40.
“Since biomarkers in breast milk can also be detected in blood, it may be possible to screen women of any age who use blood or breast milk.”
Breast milk contains proteins, skin cells and immune cells.
All of them “provide a lot of information about what’s going on in a woman’s body at a crucial moment in breast development,” Ms Witham said.
The research was presented at the 2022 Experimental Biology meeting in Philadelphia.
Experts said larger studies are now needed to confirm the findings. They said the approach could also be used for other types of breast cancer.
Ms Witham added: “If our future work is successful, it could change the way women are monitored for breast cancer and aid in early detection. This could also lead to a higher chance of survival in women.’
He said that similar tests can be done on blood samples to screen for disease in women who are not breastfeeding.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
