A new test called the Halo PAP test for breast cancer screening detects abnormal cells that could lead to cancer.

"The breast PAP test will allow me greater peace of mind in knowing that I either have no abnormalities in the cells, or if they do find any abnormalities that we were able to detect it as early as possible," says at risk patient Joannie Moppel.

The test comes from a study done at UC San Francisco. A sample of fluid is taken from the nipple, which is then analyzed for abnormal cells. Researchers took fluid samples from 7,000 Bay Area women and followed them for 14 years. They found women who had abnormal cells were more likely to develop breast cancer.

"The breast PAP test is going to be an advance in breast cancer screening because we’re able to detect abnormal cells very early. The time difference that we're looking at for abnormal breast cells will be possibly six to eight years prior to mammography detecting a lesion," says Dr. Rosalyn Baxter Jones.

Dr. Baxter Jones is one of the first doctors to administer the halo tests. She recommends that all her patients over 35 get this test yearly. However, Dr. Jeff Tice, a researcher from UCSF, feels the Halo test is best for high-risk women weighing their options. If a woman does have an abnormal Halo test, she has few options for treatment. Tamoxifen is proven to lower a woman’s risk of breast cancer but it has negative side effects, such as slightly increasing a woman’s risk of developing endometrial cancer and blood clots.

Another concern Dr. Tice has is "[The breast PAP test] collects fluid from one or at most two ducts. Breasts have eight to 12 ducts. So we're not sampling the whole breast. We may miss ducts that have precancerous lesions."

Although Dr. Tice sees problems with the Halo test, he also sees one possible benefit. If the Halo test reveals a woman has abnormal cells and a higher risk of developing breast cancer, it may motivate her to get regular checkups and mammograms. If she does go on to develop breast cancer, that diligence may help doctors detect it as early as possible.

Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool