title: Analysis of the intraductal microenvironment for the early diagnosis of breast cancer: identification of biomarkers in nipple-aspirate fluids.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast cancer, a complex and multifactorial disease, is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy that affects women. Methods of breast cancer detection that are available at present have well-described limitations; the intraductal approaches directly assess the microenvironment of the breast.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this overview is to highlight the application of nipple-aspirate fluid studies in the field of biomarker discovery, useful for early detection and prevention of breast cancer risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nipple-aspirate fluids can be obtained non-invasively from the breast in most women and represent a promising biological tool to assess metabolic and molecular changes of cells lining the ducts from which breast cancer arises.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Molecular Diagnostic Pathology University 'Carlo Bo', Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Via O Ubaldini 7, 61029 Urbino (PU), Italy +39 072 235 1479 ; +39 072 232 2370 ; ferdinando.mannello@uniurb.it.
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mannello