New Test Can Predict Breast Cancer's Spread

A new test that looks at immune cells in the lymph nodes may be the best way to predict whether breast cancer has spread and will be likely to recur, doctors said on Monday. Currently, the best way to predict whether breast cancer is likely to come back is to search for tumor cells in the lymph nodes near the breast. But Dr. Peter Lee and colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine say that perhaps examining the immune cells in those lymph nodes might be a better way to predict the cancer's spread. Patients whose tests suggest an aggressive cancer could receive extra treatment to try to kill any stray tumor cells.

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