Canadian Company Says Blood Test Can Detect Breast Cancer

A Canadian biotechnology company announced that it expects to have a "breakthrough" blood test ready for use by autumn that will be able to diagnose breast cancer by measuring two estrogen-dependent proteins or "biomarkers" in a woman's blood.

Canbreal Therodiagnostics International Inc., also known as the Canadian Breast Cancer Laboratories, said the blood test will help doctors quickly identify breast cancer in a patient and distinguish between benign and malignant tumors before they can be detected by a mammogram.

"This is a breakthrough. There is no technology like this anywhere in the world," said Dr. Gabriel Pulido-Cejudo, Canbreal's chief executive officer and president of research and development.

Dr. Pulido-Cejudo said patients would take the test at their doctor's office, and that a Canadian testing centre in Newfoundland, which is expected to be completed by the fall, would analyze the blood tests.

Dr. Pulido-Cejudo first developed the test in 1991 while a research scientist at Health Canada. In 1998, he teamed up with a Mexican company that has invested more than $5 million in Canbreal, the first spin-off company from Health Canada.

Results of a clinical study involving thousands of Mexican women to see their effectiveness of the blood test on a large scale are currently being evaluated, he said.

Other sources: Canbreal, Ottawa Citizen