Maspin marker may predict breast cancer relapse:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Measuring levels of a protein called maspin in certain breast cancer patients could help doctors identify those more likely to suffer a relapse following therapy, according to preliminary results from an Italian study. In an assessment of 48 high-risk breast cancer patients with a micrometastatic disease, those with higher levels of the protein were less likely to relapse, reported researchers from the European Institute of Oncology in Milan. Of 10 women with 20 or more lymph nodes affected by the disease, eight who had high levels of maspin did not relapse at a 15 month-follow-up, while the remaining two with low levels of the protein developed secondary cancers.