Researchers Report Developments In Breast, Ovarian Cancer Detection

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Ovarian Cancer
Article Date: 30 Jul 2010 - 2:00 PDT

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Researchers recently identified several genetic variations associated with breast cancer, while a Belgian company announced the success of an experimental test to detect ovarian tumors. Summaries appear below.

~ Breast cancer: A team of British and French researchers recently identified "a suite of 14 genetic variations" that are related to breast cancer, Time reports. Although the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes account for as many as one-third of U.S. breast cancer cases, researchers are working to identify other genes to help determine what type of tumor patients may develop. According to the research team led by Gillian Reeves at the University of Oxford, women who had the highest number of the recently-identified variants were twice as likely to develop breast cancer as women with the lowest number of variants. For example, the risk of cancer among women with the most strongly associated genetic variations was 8.8% up to age 70, which is similar to the rates found among women with family histories of breast cancer. The pattern was "more predictive" of breast tumors that were estrogen-positive than those negative for estrogen, Time reports. Reeves said, "By studying these genes associated with breast cancer risk, we can throw light on what in the body leads to breast cancer development." She added, "If we understand what their functions are, it can help us to better understand what the mechanism is for the development of breast cancer" (Park, Time, 7/27).

~ Ovarian cancer: European researchers on Tuesday said that an experimental test to detect ovarian tumor cells in the blood had accurately identified 16 of 17 women who had the cancer, Reuters reports. According to Reuters, more than 70% of ovarian cancer cases are detected in advanced stages. The cancer causes about 15,000 U.S. deaths and 140,000 global deaths annually. The study, which was conducted at UZ Hospital in Leuven, Belgium, involved lab-engineered monoclonal antibodies or immune system proteins, which were developed by MabCure and designed specifically for the detection of ovarian tumors. For the study, researchers tested several different versions of the antibodies with blood samples from 17 ovarian cancer patients -- five of whom had benign tumors -- and 24 healthy young females and eight males. MabCure officials said that each version accurately detected 16 of the 17 ovarian cancers, indicating a diagnostic sensitivity rate of 94% (Fox, Reuters, 7/27).

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