One study, led by Nicholas Navin of The University of Texas, examined breast tissue from 49 healthy women. They found that about 3.19% of the epithelial cells in these tissues showed aneuploidy (a gain or loss of chromosomes), with over 82% of these changes commonly seen in invasive cancers. These cellular changes increased with age, though the risk factors for these cells becoming cancerous remain unclear.
A second study of breast cells from 28 women, led by Dr. Samuel Aparicio of the University of British Columbia, found that nearly all participants had about 3% of cells with genetic alterations linked to cancer. While harmless alone, these mutations could be precursors to breast cancer.
The findings may extend beyond breast cancer, as similar mutations occur in other body tissues. The researchers suggest larger studies are needed to better understand these changes and their implications for cancer development.
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