There is an opportunity to develop a blood test that can detect breast cancer up to two years earlier. This test could be based on recently discovered protein changes in the blood. Researchers revealed Wednesday that they found six proteins in the blood of people diagnosed with cancer had changed in levels before the diagnosis.
They said these findings could provide a basis for blood tests. This could help detect breast cancer early in people who are genetically predisposed or have a family history of breast cancer. By detecting cancer early, the chance of dying from the disease can be reduced. The 5-year relative survival rate for cancer diagnosed early has been reported to be around 99%, but if the cancer is discovered late and has spread beyond the breast tissue, then the rate drops to around 10%, according to the . American Cancer Society.
Several new findings have been released from a study called "Trial Early Serum Test," or TESTBREAST, conducted in 2011. Currently, 1,174 women are participating in the study, all with a family history of breast cancer or carriers of genetic variants that have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
To participate in the study, women must provide blood samples at least once a year for a ten-year period. This is every time they take an exam. In case they develop breast cancer, they are also required to provide samples at the time of diagnosis. There was a study done by a team from Leiden University. The team looked at 30 blood samples from three women who had been diagnosed with cancer and three who weren't. A year or two before the cancer diagnosis, the researchers found clear differences in the levels of six proteins: One or two proteins had higher or lower levels than the other proteins.
A presentation of findings by Ms Hagenaars of Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands presented her findings at the 13th European Cancer Conference. As Sophie Hagenaars of Leiden University Medical Center has pointed out, levels of the marker protein vary more between individuals than within individuals over time.
Hagenaars says these findings suggest that tests should be based on both proteins that differ between women with and without breast cancer and proteins that change over time in people. I believe this test could be used in the future as an adjunct to existing screening techniques, provided further research validates our findings. People can get tested as often as they need to, as blood tests are relatively simple and not particularly painful for most people."
The team will follow a large group of TESTBREAST women with and without breast cancer to validate their findings. There is a well-established screening program for women at high risk of developing breast cancer. These programs take place at a set time, according to Dr Laura Biganzoli, co-chair of the European Breast Cancer Conference, and who she was not involved in the study. The findings of this study could ultimately lead to the development of a blood test that could help guide personalized screening of women at high risk of developing breast cancer and lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
How does breast cancer start?
Breast cancer begins when cells in the breast (such as the cells lining the ducts and lobules) begin to grow abnormally.