Detecting breast cancer’s fingerprint in a droplet of blood

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Detecting breast cancer

Detecting breast cancer’s fingerprint in a droplet of blood


One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the chance of successful treatment and long-term survival. However, early cancer diagnosis is still challenging as testing by mammography remains cumbersome, costly, and in many cases, cancer can only be detected at an advanced stage. A team based in the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine has developed a new microfluidics-based microarray that could one day radically change how and when cancer is diagnosed. Their findings are published in the April issue of the journal Molecular& Cellular Proteomics.


For years, scientists have worked to develop blood tests for cancer based on the presence of the Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA), a protein biomarker for cancer identified over 40 years ago by McGill’s Dr. Phil Gold. This biomarker, however, is also found in healthy people and its concentration varies from person to person depending on genetic background and lifestyle. As such, it has not been possible to establish a precise cut-off between healthy individuals and those with cancer.


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Lees verder: http://www.mcgill.ca/research/channels/news/215936


Bron: McGill University, via MEMSnet.org


Wetenschappelijk artikel: http://mcponline.org/content/11/4/M111.011460.abstract

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