HAMILTON - Cow udders are providing clues that could help surgeons save more of a woman's breast during cancer surgery.
Medical researchers in Hamilton have spent three months studying the makeup of udders to give them a better understanding of the glands and ducts in the breast andthe way cancer spreads.
Dr Fred Mayall, who supervised the study, said it could lead to surgeons being able to leave more of a woman's breast without risk of the cancer spreading.
"It is difficult to research human tissue because of ethical issues," he said.
"Cow udders are easy to get hold of. You just go down to the abattoir and grab a few."
Dr Mayall said the amount of tissue that needed to be removed during breast cancer surgery was much debated.
"Everyone, of course, wants a minimal amount removed, but the question is how much can be left safely intact."
The breast could be compared with a tree, he said, "and we are trying to understand how the branching occurs ...
"What people aren't sure of is if they are more like a grapevine or more like a pine tree."
Dr Mayall said the researchers studied thin sections of the udders, which were similar to human breasts, to work out patterns of cell replication.
The knowledge was crucial because some types of cancer infiltrated through ducts rather than tissue.
