A step closer to knowing which early breast cancers can safely be left alone

Roughly a fifth to a third of breast cancers found by screening are DCIS — an early form still sealed behind a thin barrier of cells. The hard question is which ones will break out and which never would; today, most patients get surgery or radiation without knowing. McGill University researchers, publishing in Cell Reports Medicine, found a culprit that helps cancers escape: neutrophils, infection-fighting immune cells, release an enzyme that dissolves the protective barrier. Block the cells or the enzyme in their models, and the barrier held. The enzyme could one day become a test that tells doctors whose DCIS needs aggressive treatment — and whose can safely be watched.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation