Early diagnosis improves the survival and success rates of breast cancer treatment. In a study, researchers found that breast milk can be used as a potential tool for early detection of breast cancer.
Researchers from Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Spain found that breast milk from breast cancer patients diagnosed during pregnancy or postpartum contains circulating tumor DNA that can be detected using liquid biopsy in the future. The findings were published in the journal Cancer Discovery.
The most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass. Swelling, skin dimpling, nipple pain, nipple discharge and swollen lymph nodes under the arm can also be signs of breast cancer.
However, many women with breast cancer do not experience any symptoms, which can make detection challenging. The American Cancer Society recommends regular breast cancer screening, including breast self-exams, clinical breast exams and mammograms.
During pregnancy and postpartum, breast cells undergo a rapid expansion and hence, the risk of breast cancer is high. However, the diagnoses often occur at an advanced stage in this specific group of women. The team behind the latest study explored the potential of a novel mechanism for early detection.
“During all the years that this unit has been operating, we have observed that breast cancer patients who are diagnosed during pregnancy or, especially, during the postpartum period, have a worse prognosis because they are diagnosed at more advanced stages of the disease,” Dr. Cristina Saura, who led the study, said in a news release.
“The physiological changes that occur in the breast during pregnancy and postpartum make tumors more difficult to detect; we have also observed that biologically, postpartum tumors are more aggressive, and women become pregnant at ages when population screening with mammography is not yet carried out,” Dr. Saura explained.
The researchers initiated the study in response to a breast cancer patient’s concern….
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