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'Lab on a Chip' Might Speed Breast Cancer Monitoring
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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 The new method should make that much easier, the researchers said, and it might be practical for other conditions that require hormone level monitoring, such as infertility.
However, Wheeler said that the device and approach are still in the early stages of development. "We anticipate within the next five years a product based on this technique would be available," he said.
An American Cancer Society epidemiologist who was familiar with the report agreed that much more work is needed before the device will be ready for "prime time."
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Dr. Susan Gapstur, vice president of epidemiology for the society, said that the validity of the measurements needs to be assessed but, if the findings hold up, such a device could be very useful.
"It is well known that estrogen is associated with breast cancer risk," Gapstur said. Typically, estrogen levels in the blood are measured, but those levels usually are lower than levels in breast tissue, she said. Breast estrogen levels can be measured by obtaining nipple aspirate fluid, but the fluid is difficult to obtain, especially from older women, she explained.
"Therefore, a device which can measure breast tissue estrogen, which obtains the samples in a painless and quick manner, would be very useful for studies of breast cancer risk and prevention," she said.
More information
BreastCancer.org has more about breast cancer screening.
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Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 10/7/2009
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SOURCES: Aaron Wheeler, Ph.D., Canada research chairman, bioanalytical chemistry, University of Toronto; Noha Mousa, M.D., Institute of Medicine, University of Toronto; Susan M. Gapstur, Ph.D., M.P.H., vice president, epidemiology, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; Oct. 7, 2009, Science Translational Medicine
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