BACKGROUND: While it can be a nerve-wracking experience, testing for breast cancer is a vital part of women’s health. Tests are important because they can help detect breast cancer early, when it’s most treatable. There are two different types of breast cancer testing. Screenings, such as an annual mammogram, look for signs of cancer in women who show no symptoms, while diagnostic tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), blood tests, or bone scans, are administered when breast cancer is suspected or diagnosed.

SALIVA: THE FUTURE OF BREAST CANCER TESTING? Scientists say a non-invasive, early detection test for breast cancer may be on the horizon. Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have developed a test to identify the presence and number of protein markers in a person’s saliva. The presence of breast cancer in the body produces a change in the amount and type of proteins in the glandular secretions from the salivary glands. The team examined saliva samples from 30 patients and pinpointed 49 proteins that differentiated those with benign breast tumors and those with malignant breast tumors from healthy patients. The test is capable of detecting cancer even before a tumor forms. Researchers say with its chemical basis, the test could eliminate false positive results and also allow doctors to immediately determine the next treatment step for the patient. Early detection of breast cancer is critical. In the next 25 years, an estimated 25 million women globally will be diagnosed with breast cancer and ten million could die from the disease.

LOWER YOUR RISK: Recent research shows you can lower your risk of breast cancer by being physically active. Women who are over 50 can especially benefit from increasing their activity level. Researchers studied 2,176 women with breast cancer and 2,346 healthy women. Those who were the most active throughout their adult life were 20 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than the least active women. Women benefited from exercise regardless of weight, whether she had reached menopause or whether breast cancer was in her family history. The findings were published in the March 2008 issue of the journal Epidemiology.

PASS THE SALAD, PLEASE! Eating vegetables may also decrease your chance of developing breast cancer. A study reported by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found Chinese women who consumed the highest amount of Chinese cabbage and white turnips had a somewhat lower risk of postmenopausal breast cancer than those who consumed the least amount.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: The University of Texas, Dental Branch at Houston