Oct. 16, 2000 (Ivanhoe Newswire) -

Early detection of breast cancer leads to a better cure rate. Now doctors may have a way to improve early detection in high-risk women. A new procedure called ductoscopy will allow doctors to look directly into the milk ducts where most breast cancers develop. The procedure will also help surgeons decide precisely how much tissue to remove.

Ductoscopy uses a thin, flexible fiber-optic tube. It's inserted into the opening of the nipple. The lens on the end of the tube gives the surgeon a direct, enlarged view of the inside of the ducts.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine tested the scope's success. In the 55 women studied, all of whom had already identified cancerous or precancerous changes, the device identified 75 percent of the abnormal growths. In 38 percent of the patients, the new procedure was able to identify spread that was not detected by other diagnostic techniques. With the older procedures, the doctor would have had to remove more tissue than necessary.

Doctors say ductoscopy allows them to see what they could only estimate before. Breast cancers generally begin in the milk duct and extend toward the nipple. The extension cannot be detected on mammogram or felt. This causes problems in determining where the cancer ends and normal tissue begins.

Details of the study are reported in the most recent issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.