Lead researcher Dr Dana Faratian, from the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit at the University of Edinburgh, said: We were surprised that such a high proportion of tumours change form when they spread beyond the breast. This suggests there is a need to test which type of disease a woman has in the lymph nodes, because it could radically alter the course of treatment she receives. We are now trying to set up a clinical trial to see how these results could benefit patients.
Professor David Harrison, Director of the Edinburgh Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit, said: This research may show why some women whose cancer has spread to the lymph nodes do not respond to treatment. With an additional test we may be able to treat women more effectively and also make more efficient use of NHS resources.
A clinical trial needs to be carried out to fully evaluate the benefits of testing cancer cells in the lymph nodes before it can be approved for use on the NHS.
Breast cancer accounts for nearly one in three of all female cancers and one in nine women in the UK will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime.
Source-Medindia
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