Methods for identifying treating or monitoring asymptomatic patients for risk reduction or therapeutic treatment of breast cancer
AssigneeCytyc Health Corporation
InventorsDavid T. Hung, Susan Love
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is to methods for identifying asymptomatic patients who have a likelihood of benefiting from administration of an estrogen activity modulator for risk reduction or therapeutic treatment of breast cancer, methods for reducing risk or therapeutically treating these asymptomatic patients, and methods for monitoring the treatments.
Claims27
A method for risk reduction or therapeutic treatment of an asymptomatic patient at risk for developing breast cancer, said method comprising:
- introducing a tool having a lumen sized for receiving ductal epithelial cells into a duct of a breast of the patient;
- obtaining a ductal fluid sample comprising ductal epithelial cells from within said duct using said tool;
- examining said ductal fluid sample collected from said duct to determine the presence of precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells;
- intraductally administering an estrogen activity modulator to a patient having precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells through a ductal opening of the duct of the patient determined to include the precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells.
A method of treating an asymptomatic patient who has a likelihood of benefiting from the administration of an estrogen activity modulator for risk reduction or therapeutic treatment of breast cancer, said method comprising:
- introducing a tool having an internal lumen sized for receiving ductal epithelial cells into a duct of a breast of the patient;
- obtaining a ductal fluid sample including ductal epithelial cells from within said duct using said tool;
- examining said ductal fluid sample collected from said duct to determine the presence of precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells;
- identifying the patient as likely to benefit from administration of an estrogen activity modulator based on the presence of either precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells in said ductal fluid sample;
- positioning a member through a ductal opening and within a breast duct of the patient based the identifying step;
- and
- intraductally administering the estrogen activity modulator using said member extending within the identified breast duct.
A method of treating an asymptomatic patient who has a likelihood of benefiting from the administration of an estrogen activity modulator for risk reduction or therapeutic treatment of breast cancer, said method comprising:
- introducing a tool having an internal lumen sized for receiving ductal epithelial cells into a duct of a breast of the patient;
- lavaging said duct;
- obtaining a ductal fluid sample including ductal epithelial cells from within said duct through said tool;
- examining said ductal fluid sample collected from said duct to determine the presence of precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells;
- intraductally administering an estrogen activity modulator through a ductal opening of a breast duct of a patient having precancerous or cancerous ductal epithelial cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.