Study: Nipple Fluid May Lead to Better Test for Breast Cancer

A new method of extracting and analyzing fluid from a woman's breast may provide a more accurate, less uncomfortable way to determine the risk for breast cancer or to diagnose the disease in its early stages, according to researchers.

The researchers reported that they have discovered six times more proteins than previously identified in "nipple aspirate fluid," or NAF, suggesting that the fluid could be a way of identifying women who have biomarkers, or biological indicators, of breast cancer.

This nipple aspirate fluid is obtained through a process in which a woman massages her breast, applies gentle heat, and then uses a simple breast pump to ease the fluid from the breast without discomfort.

The researchers reported in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment that of 121 healthy, non-lactating volunteers, more than 90 percent were successful in producing fluid. They said women find this approach preferable to ductal lavage,an irrigation procedure.

"We believe this fluid could be the best alternative for discovering biomarkers for early-stage breast cancer," said Rick Zangar, a researcher at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA.

Zangar said that when researchers analyzed the nipple aspirate fluid samples using high-throughput mass spectrometers, they identified 65 proteins identified, one-quarter of which have been previously implicated as potential biomarkers for breast cancer.

"Will a biomarker show up sooner in NAF than in blood? We don't know yet," said Zanger. "But we do know that NAF is a concentrated source of proteins specifically released by breast cells."

Other Sources: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment