McGill discovery could help predict which early breast cancers will spread
Posted October 20, 2026 12:13 pm.
McGill University researchers have identified a mechanism that could help doctors predict which early breast cancers are most likely to become invasive.
The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, found that neutrophils, immune cells that normally fight infection, can release an enzyme called neutrophil elastase that weakens the protective barrier around ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early form of breast cancer.
Researchers found that blocking the immune cells or the enzyme helped preserve the barrier in experiments involving mice, human breast tissue and laboratory-grown tumour models.
The findings could eventually help doctors distinguish low-risk cases from those more likely to progress, potentially sparing some patients unnecessary treatment.
“Many patients diagnosed with DCIS face difficult treatment decisions because we can’t reliably predict which lesions will progress,” said lead author Tarek Taifour, an MD-PhD student in McGill’s Department of Medicine.
McGill Researchers say further work is needed before the discovery can be used to guide treatment decisions in clinical practice.
