Breast cancer can be detected long before symptoms appear

Researchers have discovered that breast cancer can be successfully detected several years before any symptoms manifest through a simple blood test. The results of this important study, which could enhance early diagnosis of breast tumors and improve treatment efficacy, were presented at a recent conference of the National Cancer Research Institute.

The authors established that the body typically produces an immune response to developing cancer long before its clinical signs can be detected. This immune reaction can be captured through a blood test, the researchers explain. Specialists thoroughly studied the specific proteins produced by malignant cells, known as tumor antigens. These antigens provoke the activation of the immune system, which begins to produce anti-cancer antibodies.

The team developed a panel of tumor antigens that were specifically produced by breast cancer cells. They then analyzed blood samples to see if the body had created autoantibodies against these antigens.

The researchers conducted a pilot study that included 90 patients with breast cancer. They took blood samples from women after they were diagnosed with the disease and then compared them with biomaterials from a control group that included 90 individuals without breast cancer.

After that, they used a special screening technology called a protein microarray to quickly analyze the collected blood samples for the presence of autoantibodies against 40 tumor antigens that they identified as being associated with breast cancer. They also compared the autoantibodies with 27 antigens not associated with breast tumors to exclude systematic error or confounding factors.

"The results of our study showed that breast cancer indeed provokes the production of autoantibodies against specific tumor antigens. By identifying these autoantibodies in the blood, we were able to detect the disease with relatively high accuracy," says Dania Alfattani, one of the research team members presenting their findings at the conference.

For this study, the team created three panels of tumor antigens on which they intended to test autoantibodies. When they studied the panel with a larger number of antigens, they found that the accuracy of the results increased. Using a panel of five tumor antigens, the researchers were able to detect the disease in only 29% of cancer patients, while the same panel in the control group showed a correct result in 84% of cases. Another panel containing seven antigens successfully identified cancer in 35% of patients, while a third panel with nine antigens identified it in 37%.

According to Dr. Alfattani, this was a pilot study, and much work remains to be done to verify its results: "We need to refine this method and prove its effectiveness. But even these preliminary results are encouraging and indicate that breast cancer can be detected at an early stage. Once we can improve the accuracy of this method, it will open the possibility of using a simple blood test for early disease detection."

Currently, the team continues its research: they have recruited 800 patients with diagnosed breast tumors, whose autoantibodies isolated from their blood samples will be tested using the panel with nine antigens. "A blood test for early detection of breast cancer will be cost-effective and accessible, which is especially important for low- and middle-income countries," says Dania Alfattani. "It will also be easier to implement compared to existing screening methods, including mammography."

If the results are successful, researchers believe that within the next five years, the test will be used in clinics for screening women for breast cancer. "Creating a blood test capable of detecting breast tumors at an early stage is our main goal," the researchers noted.

"Early recognition of the disease using simple, non-invasive diagnostic tools capable of detecting the first signs of cancer is a strategic priority for us," said Dr. Ian Frame, CEO of the National Cancer Research Institute. "The results of this pilot study exploring the possibility of using a blood test for early diagnosis of breast tumors are promising, especially considering this team's successes in studying other types of cancer, particularly lung cancer. It is clear that they are only at the beginning of their journey, but we look forward to the results of a new, larger study with a bigger sample size."

His enthusiasm is shared by Dr. Katrin Temchinait from the charity Breast Cancer Now: "The idea that a simple blood test in the future could help doctors detect autoantibodies that appear even before the development of breast tumors sounds promising," she says. "This test will also help identify women who require closer monitoring."