Blogging for Babies, Breastfeeding and Mothers

Wouldn't it be nice to detect your risk for breast cancer by simply having a scientist examine your breastmilk? Kathleen Arcaro at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is doing just that. She will be collecting and studying breastmilk as an early detector of breast cancer risk. "The test could show signs of elevated breast cancer risk in women at an earlier age than ever before-a population currently not receiving mammograms or other screening."

Breastmilk contains a sampling of cells from all the glands in the breast. This makes it possible to look at many more breast tissues then is achievable with the current methods. Though breast cancer among young women is rare, the results of these tests could  provide a warning to those women at risk.

If you are breastfeeding your second child and have had a breast biospy in the past or are scheduled to have one, you may be eligible to enroll in Arcaro's study. For details see http://www.breastmilkresearch.org/

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