Cancer clues found in breast milk

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) - There is new research being conducted at UMass Amherst that could revolutionize how women are screened for breast cancer.

Scientists at UMass believe they've found a way to assess a woman's risk for breast cancer by studying her breast milk.

Kathleen Arcaro of UMass Amherst is leading this research. She told 22News "Most women don't know if they're at any increased risk or not because, even if you have a family history, most breast cancers are sporadic. They occur in women who have no family history."

Arcaro and her team have studied the breast milk of women who have had a biopsy while nursing. After studying their cells, they've been able to identify whether that woman has a higher risk of breast cancer.

This is still preliminary research. But, Arcaro hopes this could become a less invasive way to screen a woman for breast cancer risk.