New marker in blood could detect fatal breast cancer up to one year earlier

A new marker that could be used to diagnose fatal breast cancer up to one year ahead of current methods has been identified in a study led by UCL. The study, published in Genome Medicine today, found that changes detected in a part of DNA which the researches named EFC#93 could suggest early signs of deadly breast cancer. Importantly, these abnormal patterns are present in blood serum before the cancer becomes detectable in the breast. A team of researchers found that in breast cancers small molecules of carbon and hydrogen become attached to EFC#93 in a process called DNA methylation. Abnormal DNA methylation is common in human tumours and methylation changes occur very early in breast cancer development. Professor Martin Widschwendter (UCL Department of Women's Cancer) said: "For the first time, our study provides evidence that DNA methylation markers such as EFC#93 provide a highly specific indicator that could diagnose fatal breast cancers up to one year in advance of current diagnosis. This may enable individualised treatment, which could even begin in the absence of radiological evidence in the breast." Professor Widschwendter added: "We found that the presence of EFC#93 DNA methylation in blood serum correctly identified 43% of women who went on to be diagnosed with fatal breast cancers within three to six months of giving serum samples, as well as 25% of women who went on to be diagnosed within six to twelve months of giving samples." The researchers first analysed EFC#93 DNA methylation in blood serum samples from 419 breast cancer patients taken at two time points: after surgery (before the start of chemotherapy) and after completion of chemotherapy.