Examining healthy breast tissue to understand how cancer starts

A new approach being researched by scientists has led to the examination of healthy breast tissue to better understand how cancer develops.

WINK News health and medical reporter Amy Oshier explains how this groundbreaking approach can change research and lead to exciting developments.

The female breast contains billions of cells; however, researchers have narrowed down specific cells most susceptible to cancer.

Dr. Harikrishna Nakshatri, with the Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been one of the scientists researching this newer method.

“80% of breast cancer originates from a single cell type in the breast,” said Nakshatri.

Through healthy breast cell donations by The Women of Diverse Ancestries, researchers have generated an extensive map of cells in the breast.

“Now we can go much more precisely in figuring out where the cancer originated and the fundamental difference between a cancer cell and its normal counterpart,” said Nakshatri. “We are making tremendous strides in breast cancer research.”

According to Nakshatri, the data gathered will help his research and the research of others globally.

In addition to this research, scientists will address biological and ancestral aspects.

The uniqueness of this study stems from tissue collected from women who are breast cancer-free.

Nakshatri said this research will help design better therapies in the future with hopes of earlier cancer diagnosis.