Objective:

To develop a quick, minimally invasive proteomics-based diagnostic test for early detection of breast cancer in genetically predisposed individuals.

Approach:

• Study Design: The research is based on the TESTBREAST study, which analyzes blood-based protein biomarkers in women at high risk of developing breast cancer.
• Sample Collection: Serum samples were collected from 1,174 female participants every six months until diagnosis.
• Analysis Method: Targeted mass spectrometry-based proteomics was used to analyze prediagnostic changes in protein levels from longitudinal blood samples.

Key Findings:

• Unique patterns of protein clustering were observed, indicating greater inter-patient variability.
• Six proteins showed changes up to two years before diagnosis, suggesting their potential as early indicators of breast cancer onset.

Interpretation:

Limitations:

• The analysis was conducted on a small subset of participants (30 samples from six women).
• Further validation is needed in the complete TESTBREAST cohort and larger settings.

Conclusion:

The long-term goal is to make the test available in point-of-care settings to complement MRI screenings for early breast cancer detection.

Sources:

• TESTBREAST Study