Analysing breast milk for tumour DNA ‘may lead to earlier diagnosis’

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By Jane Kirby, PA Media

Testing breast milk could lead to the earlier diagnosis of breast cancer, researchers believe.

Scientists at the University of Manchester are examining whether circulating tumour DNA from cancer, which can show up in breast milk, could identify the disease earlier than a blood test or scan.

Breastfeeding is known to lower the risk of breast cancer in the long term, but women have a higher risk during pregnancy and after giving birth.

Some women also have genetic faults that put them at higher risk of the disease when they are young.

Dr Niki Flaum, who is leading the study and is a consultant oncologist at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust In Manchester, said: “There is an urgent need to find better, more reliable ways to detect breast cancer in women during and after pregnancy.

“We believe breast milk may provide a unique and non-invasive window into what is happening inside the breast.