Breast cancer urine test being developed

BOSTON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston say they are developing a urine test urine that may signal breast cancer.

The researchers, led by Marsha Moses, find the urine of women with two types of breast cancer had markedly elevated levels of two biomarkers -- known as MMP-9 and ADAM-12 when compared to controls.

Elevated levels of these biomarkers in the urine of breast cancer patients indicate increased angiogenesis -- a normal physiological process involving the growth of new blood vessels that is also fundamental to the transition of a tumor to malignancy.

The discoveries have been licensed for clinical development in the hope of developing a quick non-invasive test for breast cancer that would catch the disease at its earliest stages or spot a resurgence before it becomes a threat, the researchers say.

If the test is successfully developed, women whose urine reveals a risk for breast cancer could get more frequent mammograms and make lifestyle changes to minimize their odds of breast cancer, Moses explains.