Early detection of the tumor is a key to successful treatment of breast cancer. That is why doctors recommend that women regular breast self-examination and this is also the reason why organized screening is offered to women aged 50 to 74.
Unfortunately, when the cancer is not familial (such as this was the case for Angelina Jolie for example) there is not yet a reliable test to find out which women are most likely to develop a tumor later on.
However, this test could well be developed one day because, according to a study led by Professor Jean Dumanski, from the department of immunology, genetics and pathology at the University of Uppsala (Sweden), certain genetic alterations in cells apparently in good breast health could be associated with an increased risk of cancer.
Breast cancer: a progressive process already marked in the cells
“We took some samples of tissue far from the tumor that looked perfectly normal under a microscope from women who had been operated on for breast cancer. But when we analyzed the DNA of these tissues, we found that they contained well-known genetic abnormalities.“said the doctor.”This indicates that the development of sporadic breast cancer is a gradual process that spans several years, ultimately producing a tumor. These genetic abnormalities could be the “signature of a future cancer risk“adds Professor Dumanski.
This discovery could pave the way for the development of new diagnostic tools to detect breast cancer at a much earlier stage than at present.
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