A new test has been discovered that may help determine the risk of having breast cancer 10 years earlier than other mainstream breast cancer examination.

Researchers from the University College London in UK, headed by Professor Martin Widschwendter, have identified an epigenetic signature that can be detected in the blood of women who might have acquired breast cancer cells. Women who have inherited this type of genetic mutation are predisposed to breast cancer.

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For instance, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie decided to have her breasts removed when she learned that she carries a faulty gene responsible for 10 percent of breast cancers.

According to the findings of the research, which was published in the journal Genome Medicine, the mutation occurs in the BRCA1 gene and is alleged to cause at least 10 percent of breast cancers.

"We identified a signature in women with a mutated BRCA1 gene that was linked to increased cancer risk and lower survival rates," Widschwendter said. "Surprisingly, we found the same signature in large cohorts of women without the BRCA1 mutation and it was able to predict breast cancer risk several years before diagnosis." 

He said that his team is working to see if the test can be done accurately that will allow them to predict five to 10 years in advance whether someone has a propensity to develop breast cancer.

Though they used blood test to determine this, the test in predicting breast cancer is best done using skin cells since the disease usually starts in skin cells, he adds.

Doctors hope to use cells from smear test which is normally used to detect cervical cancer.

"We would be able to predict breast cancer risk using these signatures as part of your smear test," added Widschwendter, "There is no data yet to indicate that this is what it will lead to but we have got a lot of reason to believe that this will change the world of women's cancer."

The research indicated that the DNA signature in the blood of women who developed non-hereditary cancers was the same as those with genetic mutation. These may be responsible for switching off genes in immune cells and stopping them from preventing breast cancer development.

The research received positive feedback from other cancer experts saying that research results are 'promising.'

Tagsbreast cancer, Cancer, University College of London