Hope of breast test breakthrough

A TEST that detects breast cancer years or even decades before a tumour forms could be developed by scientists.

It follows a study at Uppsala University in Sweden in which researchers compared cancerous breast tissue with apparently healthy breast tissue and skin samples from almost 300 women.

In nearly 40 per cent of cases, the seemingly normal breast tissue harboured genetic changes usually seen in advanced cancer. These genes would not be enough to cause the disease, but are thought to be a step towards it. Importantly, the rogue genes make proteins that sit on the surface of the breast cells.

Prof Jan Dumanski, whose findings are published i n the journal Genome Research, said: ‘The mutated genes create an altered protein on the cells’ surface, which could be used to detect those particular cells. This opens up possibilities to develop diagnostic methods that could identify women at risk... before the tumour is formed and much earlier than it can be detected by mammography.’