A simple blood test could help to detect breast cancer as much as two years before traditional diagnosis methods, researchers said. The test would focus on six types of proteins whose levels might be higher or lower in the two years preceding diagnosis.
The researchers said their findings, presented at the 13th European Breast Cancer Conference, could “form the basis of blood testing for people with a genetic predisposition or a family history of breast cancer” to ensure early diagnosis and treatment. Sophie Hagenaars, from Leiden University Medical Center in The Netherlands, said: “These proteins could form the basis for a blood test for early detection of breast cancer in women at a higher risk."
The study, called Trial Early Serum Test Breast (TESTBREAST), looked at 1,174 women in the Netherlands who were at a high risk of breast cancer. This could be either because of family history or because they carry gene variants associated with a higher risk.
