Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC), BC Cancer, Harvard Medical School and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have pinpointed what could be the early genetic origins of breast cancer-;cancer-like mutations appearing in the cells of healthy women. In a new study, the international collaborators analyzed the genomes of more than 48,000 individual breast cells from women without cancer, using novel techniques for decoding the genes of single cells. While the vast majority of cells appeared normal, nearly all of the women harboured a small number of breast cells-;about 3 per cent-;that carried genetic alterations commonly associated with cancer.
The findings, published today in Nature Genetics , suggest that these rare genetic anomalies may represent some of the earliest steps in a series of events that could culminate in breast cancer development. It's striking to see cancer-like mutations happening silently and at low levels in the cells of perfectly healthy women. While harmless on their own, these changes could be the basic building blocks of breast cancer.
With further research into how these mutations arise and accumulate, we could potentially develop new and lifesaving preventive strategies, therapeutic approaches, and routes for early detection." Dr. Samuel Aparicio, lead senior author, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at UBC's faculty of medicine, distinguished scientist at BC Cancer, and Canada Research Chair in Molecular Onco.