London, Dec 14 (IANS) A simple blood test could detect breast cancer in its early stages, say scientists who hope to get it approved for Europe wide clinical use by the end of next year.
The test is developed by Norwegian life sciences company DiaGenic ASA and will be offered to patients by private healthcare provider Opaldia.
Preliminary trials of the blood test that uses a technique called gene expression analysis has shown promising results, according to the research published in “Breast Cancer Research” journal.
Mammograms or x-ray exams of the breast are mostly used for women at high risk of breast cancer in their 40s, Opaldia medical director James Mackay said.
But they can detect lumps only when they reached a size of between 5mm and 10mm, and the density of breast tissue in younger women often makes it difficult to interpret the X-rays, the online edition of Daily Mail said.
He said all health professionals who work with breast cancer are concerned that mammograms may not produce the best results in women under 47.
“Therefore a new test used alongside mammography would provide the optimal chance of detecting the cancer as early as possible and the findings are promising” Mackay said.
The Breast Cancer Research study involved about 60 women, half of whom had breast cancer. It showed that there were distinct blood patterns associated with the disease.
Prof Kefah Mokbel, consultant breast surgeon of the London Breast Institute at the Princess Grace Hospital and St George’s Hospital, said the blood test needed to be validated in much bigger trials across different ethnic and age groups.