Researchers seek new cancer detection method
Doctors may someday be able to use bodily fluids to noninvasively detect breast cancer in patients earlier than is possible now.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in the U.S. and is currently one of the leading causes of cancer deaths. Earlier diagnosis and treatment lead to better prognoses for breast cancer patients. But mammograms have proved to be less effective for those under age 40, as their breast tissue is denser and screening and biopsies can be unpleasant to endure.
In breast milk and blood serum, researchers, including those in my lab group, have identified proteins that are involved in tumor development. Eventually, biochemists hope we can use these cancer-related proteins to create a biomarker panel that physicians can use to detect breast cancer earlier, therefore aiding in diagnosis and treatment.
Researchers can analyze the proteins present in a variety of tissues, from biopsies of tumors to biological fluids including blood, saliva, urine, tears or breast milk.
Proteomics can be a powerful tool when researchers compare the proteomes of individuals from different groups, such as in blood from healthy people versus those with breast cancer. This kind of case-control comparison can identify a single protein or a group of proteins and their variants that are specific to one condition.
That’s what my colleagues and I are looking for: proteins that are present only in the samples from people who have breast cancer. Scientists call them biomarkers because they signal that a patient has a particular condition. Once our candidates are verified by large-scale clinical trials that include many patients, we hope that particular proteins can then be used to assess someone’s future risk of developing the disease.
Breast milk and blood serum are two bodily fluids that can be collected noninvasively and that give information about what is happening in the body when collected.
Breast milk contains secreted proteins, immune cells and sloughed cells of the milk ducts. During lactation, the breast is actively working to create milk to feed an infant. Any abnormalities in the breast milk reflect the current situation in the body. Some proteins in breast milk also circulate throughout the body and can be found in blood serum as well.
Serum is the liquid part of the blood after red blood cells have been removed. It contains all the same proteins found in the blood, minus the clotting factors, therefore allowing circulating protein levels to be monitored.
Our group is currently working on using blood serum to identify proteins that could be involved with breast cancer. Moving from breast milk to blood serum would allow people of any age and reproductive status to be screened for the disease, rather than just those who are lactating.
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