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PRESS RELEASE: 18 May 2005

Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke's helps breast cancer breakthrough

The Cambridge Breast Unit at Addenbrooke's Hospital has contributed to a breakthrough in finding the most effective way of detecting breast cancer in high risk women.

A study by the Institute of Cancer Research published this week found that magnetic resonance imaging is twice as sensitive as x-ray mammography in detecting breast cancer in women at high genetic risk. Researchers say that ultimately, the use of MRI scans could reduce the need for operations to remove the breasts as a precautionary measure.

Around 2% of breast cancer is caused by the gene mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2. Women with one of these mutations come from families where there is a strong family history of breast cancer, and around half will develop breast cancer themselves by the age of 70. Women with these mutations are offered annual mammograms so that tumours can be identified and treated early on. However, because women under the age of 50 often have dense breasts, mammography is not always very effective at detecting tumours, and around 40% of women at high risk decide to have their breasts removed to avoid the risk of developing cancer. If cancer could be diagnosed more accurately, treatment could start at an early stage and surgery could remove just the affected tissue, not the whole breast.

The latest study included 838 women at high risk from breast cancer aged from 35 to 49 years from 22 centres around the country, including 67 women from the Cambridge Breast Unit. They were offered annual MRI and x-ray mammography, and screened for between two and seven years. The results for each were then compared with their true cancer status.

Dr Ruth Warren, Consultant Radiologist who led the study at the Cambridge Breast Unit, said: “We are delighted to have shown scientifically that breast MRI offers these high risk women a chance of early diagnosis and hope that despite its cost, this type of screening will be made available to them by the NHS, in addition to the yearly mammography that they get at present.”

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.