London - A mother’s breast milk could be used to predict whether she is at risk of developing breast cancer, scientists say.
Cells in the milk can easily be tested to see if they contain certain genes linked to the illness.
And within a few years, it is hoped that all women who give birth in hospital could provide milk for screening.
As about 80 percent of women have children, researchers believe that testing milk would provide a cheap, simple way of checking their risk.
Up to one in eight women will develop breast cancer at some stage - and the incidence has increased by 50 percent over the past 25 years.
Although the illness is far more common among the over-50s, around one in five cases occurs in younger age groups.
But there is currently no effective way of screening them, because mammograms do not always detect tumours in women who have not reached the menopause - particularly if they are breast feeding.
United States researchers at the University of Massachusetts, in Amherst, collected milk samples from 250 mothers who had all had a biopsy to check for breast cancer.
They then tested the DNA of the milk to see whether genes had been altered in a way which would suggest early signs of the disease. The study found that women whose biopsies suggested they had cancer also showed signs of the disease in milk cells.
Lead researcher Dr Kathleen Arcaro said that although the pilot study was small it was “sufficient to tell us that we can use the cells in breast milk to assess breast cancer risk”.
Dr Arcaro added that she hoped one day every woman who has a baby in hospital would have her breast milk tested for cancer.
“We’ll take a little sample of colostrum [milk produced in late pregnancy], and we’ll tell her how her breasts are doing,” she said.
“It’s totally non-invasive, potentially inexpensive, and really accurate.”
Breast cancer is by far the most common form of the illness among British women - almost 48,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. It claims 12,000 lives annually.
The rate has increased dramatically in recent years, with blame falling on lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity and drinking, as well as a tendency to have fewer children.
Henry Scowcroft, of Cancer Research UK, said: “This is an intriguing concept but the available information leaves several questions unanswered. Larger follow-up studies are now needed. In the meantime, women should continue to attend screening when invited.” - Daily Mail