Refining breast cancer risk assessment: Who is a candidate for the examination of ductal fluid in the search for biomarkers?
Description
- Language(s)
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English
- Published
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2005.
- Summary
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Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women aged 20-59 in the United States. Forty thousand women are expected to die of breast cancer this year alone (Jemal et al., 2005). In order to better ascertain who is at risk for this disease, it may be beneficial to explore new biologic markers to enhance the accuracy of individual risk assessment. Breast carcinogenesis theories support the notion of a cellular continuum, beginning with normal cells progressing to malignant cells. Recent studies have shown a positive association between atypical hyperplasia in breast epithelial cells and an increased risk of breast cancer (Fabian et al., 2000; Wrensch et al., 2001). As 90% of breast cancers originate in the epithelial cells of the breast ductal systems, access to these cells via nipple aspirate fluid is one possible technique for evaluation of potential breast cancer precursors. Chapters 1 and 2 of this dissertation were written in preparation for the study conducted and described in Chapter 3. This descriptive study examined characteristics of a cohort of 3,403 non-lactating women between the ages of 15-89 to determine who was most likely to yield nipple aspirate fluid using the Sartorius technique (Sartorius, Smith, Morris, Benedict, & Friesen, 1977). SAS procedures FREQ or UNIVARIATE were used to compare women from whom nipple aspirate fluid was obtained to women from whom nipple aspirate fluid collection was attempted but not obtained. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios for obtaining versus not obtaining fluid for variables individually adjusted for age and in a multivariate model that included age, marital status, age at menarche, pregnancy history, estrogen use, tranquilizer use and endocrine problems. Younger age was associated with an increased ability to obtain nipple aspirate fluid. After multivariate adjustment, women who were married, had a history of pregnancy, tranquilizer use or endocrine problems remained significantly more likely to yield breast fluid.
- Note
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Adviser: Dodd, Marylin
Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-06, Section: B, page: 3072
- Physical Description
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xi, 94 p. :
col. ill. ;
28 cm
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