Introduction

Spanish researchers from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIO) in Barcelona have found a way to detect breast cancer at an early stage by analyzing human milk.

Findings from the Study

The journal Cancer Discovery indicates that researchers have proven that breast milk, when infected with breast cancer, contains DNA from a malignant tumor. Researchers found this in milk samples taken from women 18 months before they were diagnosed with breast cancer. It was also found in 13 of 15 women diagnosed with breast cancer during or after pregnancy, with a blood test showing only one of them was infected.

Potential Diagnostic Tool

“When there is local damage, DNA is released into the blood in low concentrations, but is easily detectable in breast milk, making it a potential diagnostic tool,” says Cristina Saura, head of the research team.

Benefits for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

According to Saura, the new method will make it possible to highly efficiently diagnose breast cancer in pregnant women and women who have recently given birth, since it is difficult to diagnose the disease in them due to the physiological changes occurring in their body.

Future Research Plans

The researchers plan to continue this work on a larger scale, including taking milk samples from 5,000 women at risk of breast cancer.

Sources

Source: TASS