Determining whether analysis of the intraductal fluid obtained by nipple aspiration can identify breast cancer biomarkers.

As most breast cancer deaths occur due to metastatic disease, a key part of disease control and prevention lies in early detection. A promising approach to breast cancer detection lies in the opportunity to sample the intraductal environment which is in direct contact with the majority (80-90%) of breast tumours i.e. those of epithelial origin (Dua et al., 2005).

The principal aim of this project is to determine whether analysis of the intraductal fluid obtained by nipple aspiration can identify breast cancer biomarkers.

In collaboration with our clinical colleagues at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Biomics Centre at St George's Hospital, we are currently using a SELDI-TOF/MS based proteomic approach to identify a biomarker profile which distinguishes between the cancer-involved and contralateral breast and to determine whether sampling the intraduct microenvironment of women at moderate risk of breast cancer can be used for early breast cancer diagnosis.