Identifying material from a breast duct

Abstract

Methods and systems for identifying material from a breast duct using one or more markers that can be identified in ductal fluid retrieved from the breast are provided.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of predicting the likelihood of breast cancer recurrence or identifying viable treatment regimen in a human patient comprising:
 measuring, using an analytical instrument, the expression levels of one or more RNA transcripts, one or more proteins, or a combination thereof, in a ductal fluid sample (a) obtained from at least one duct of a breast of the patient and (b) transformed to a form suitable for use with the analytical instrument, wherein   said one or more RNA transcripts are selected from the group consisting of a growth factor receptor, HER2, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Bcl2, a protein that participates in a transcriptional activation pathway, Ki67, a cyclin, a cathepsin L, a peptide form of a factor from a growth factor, glutathione S-transferase, a macrophage inflammatory protein, BAG-1, a protein that participates in an aptoptosis pathway, a macrophage inflammatory protein, an actin binding protein, stromelysin-3 or their expression products, or a combination thereof; and   comparing the presence or absence of levels of one or more in expression of said one or more RNA transcripts, or their expression products, or a combination thereof, to a normal control, wherein levels over normal controls indicate a likelihood of breast cancer recurrence and wherein levels at or below a normal indicates a viable treatment regimen.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said ductal fluid sample contains cells. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising analyzing the cytology of cells in said sample. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the presence of tumor cells indicates a likelihood of breast cancer recurrence. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the absence of tumor cells indicates an efficacious treatment regimen. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the fluid sample is from a single duct. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the fluid sample is from a plurality of ducts. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the fluid sample was obtained by nipple aspiration of the milk ducts. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the fluid sample was obtained by washing the ductal lumen and retrieving fluid and cells from the lumen.