Can this test tell if breast cancer will return?

This test may be able to predict if a person's breast cancer could return. Photo / iStock.

Women could be offered new treatments to prevent breast cancer returning following a crucial discovery by scientists.

They have identified key differences between the genetic make-up of tumours that grow back after surgery and those that are killed.

The Cambridge researchers hope it will lead to women being offered tests on their tumours as soon as they are diagnosed with breast cancer. Those flagged up as having the type likely to return would then be offered preventative drugs.

The scientists will present their findings tomorrow at the European Cancer Congress conference in Vienna. Experts have hailed it as an important breakthrough in the new era of personalised medicine, whereby patients are given tailor-made courses of treatment. Around 50,500 women are diagnosed with breast cancer a year in the UK, of whom about a fifth suffer from recurring tumours.

Dr Lucy Yates, from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge, a specialist genetics centre, compared the genes of tumours from 1,000 women. She said there were genetic differences in tumours that "predispose" them to return, several months or even years after surgery or chemotherapy.

These genetic flaws are "potentially targetable", she added. Dr Áine McCarthy, Cancer Research UK's science information officer, said: "These are exciting findings and could help doctors offer more personalised treatment to women whose breast cancer has spread or come back - potentially improving their chances of survival. We know that cancer is harder to treat when it comes back, and that's why research into how and why some tumours return and spread is so important."

Grete Brauten-Smith, Clinical Nurse Specialist at the charity Breast Cancer Care said: "This very interesting study builds on the evidence, showing how we can test someone's genetic features to predict if their breast cancer will return.

"If we know that a patient is likely to suffer a recurrence, we can adapt their treatment to suit.

"It's another step towards more tailored treatments, ensuring each patient receives the very best medical care appropriate for them."

Professor Peter Naredi, of the European Cancer Congress, said greater information about the primary tumour helps doctors choose the right therapy for each breast cancer patient.

- Daily Mail