Painless, Non-Invasive Breast Fluid Test Discovers Breast Cancer at Early, Most Treatable Stage

A new test currently in development may help detect breast cancer in it's early, most treatable stage.

TORONTO (PRWEB) September 14, 2004 -- Doctors will soon have a powerful tool -- a non-invasive, painless nipple fluid test -- in their fight to make breast cancer a more treatable, non-fatal disease.

Within the next couple years, women will be able to go for a routine check-up and receive the test -- currently in development at IMI International Medical Innovations -- that can detect breast cancer in its early, most treatable stage. IMIs breast cancer test identifies a cancer-associated sugar in a sample of nipple aspirate fluid derived from the breast ducts and painlessly expressed through the nipple using a pump.

Most breast cancers originate in the breast ducts, so nipple aspirate fluid is a logical sample to target," said Dr. Anees Chagpar, an assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, University of Louisville. The early results we have seen with this test are promising, and we are planning additional studies to confirm and expand our findings."

Widespread screening for early-stage breast cancer could minimize the devastating effect of the disease. Breast cancer, currently the second leading cause of cancer death for women, is nearly 100 percent treatable when diagnosed early, according to the American Cancer Society.

The test is cost effective relative to other current screening options and could one day be a front-line test for this deadly disease, according to Michael Evelegh, PhD, who oversees product development and clinical affairs at IMI.

Current screening techniques available to women include mammography, clinical breast examination and breast self-examination. But some breast changes that indicate early-stage cancer may not be evident on a mammogram or be picked up by touch.

The same sugar marker is being used by IMI in new tests for colorectal and lung cancers, which examine rectal mucus and sputum respectively. In each test, the sample is treated with a series of chemicals that cause a color-change reaction. The color change is measured by a spectrophotometer, producing a quantified test result.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 1.2 million people worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. The American Cancer Society projects an estimated 215,990 new cases among women in the U.S., with an expected 40,110 deaths by the end of 2004.
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