Regardless of how old you are or what stage of your life, getting a breast cancer diagnosis is life-changing. For the hundreds of thousands of people who receive breast cancer diagnoses each year, the reality of the life-threatening disease is jarring. While we’ve come a long way in the world of treatment, early detection is still one of the most effective ways of preventing death and the long-term health consequences of breast cancer. This week, another major development in the world of early detection was made, as researchers pinpointed a new epigenetic indicator for identifying breast cancer in the body.
Research Finds New DNA Marker for Diagnosing Breast Cancer in Older Women
Last month, researchers from the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center published a study in the medical journal Aging, detailing their findings that a simple blood test could help identify genetic markers of breast cancer in older women. The study focused primarily on the process of epigenetic aging, which calculates how fast the body’s cells are aging based on changes in DNAm or DNA methylation.
Throughout the course of the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples from a sample of postmenopausal, non-Hispanic white women and discovered that those who showed an older or more advanced biological age were at a significantly higher risk of developing breast cancer than their “younger” counterparts. The study also found that this risk was elevated further in women who had their ovaries removed before natural menopause, which they predict is due to reduced estrogen levels that play a key role in both aging and breast health. While the study is still new, further research could turn this blood sampling into a routine test for women to help detect breast cancer earlier and lead to more effective treatment and less fatality in the long run.
