Women soon may have a powerful - and easy to use - weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

In a study reported recently at the 10th International Congress on Women's Health Issues, Wayne State University researcher Chandice Covington found that analyzing breast fluids can reveal risk factors for breast cancer, possibly helping medical professionals to determine a woman's risk of developing the disease, which is the leading cause of death in American women aged 40-44, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

And while that finding certainly is good news, the even better news is that Covington, associate professor of nursing at WSU, has developed a procedure to extract those breast fluids non-invasively. Using a plastic syringe and a specially designed suction cup - the patent for the device is pending - a minute amount of fluid can be extracted and tested for cancer risk.

The soft plastic device was designed with the help of Tony Sternad of the WSU physics and astronomy department's machine shop and built by ProtoProduction of Warren. Covington said developing such a device was critical to her procedure, because past breast fluid collection methods were painful for women.

She likens the procedure she has developed to a "Pap smear" for breast cancer. Ninety percent of all breast cancer begins in the breast ducts where the fluids reside, she says, noting that researchers have known for a while that dietary and environmental elements are present in breast fluids.

At the conference, Covington presented results of a study that reported the increased presence of Carotenoid, an anti-cancer marker, in the breast fluids of women who had breastfed their last child for at least six months. Carotenoid was less present in the fluids of women who had bottle-fed their last child. The study also found that carotenoid levels in breast fluids decrease after age 35, although less so in the breastfeeding women.

An ongoing study will examine whether using Covington's aspiration device will enhance the expression of breast fluids and in turn decrease the levels of cancer-causing chemicals in those fluids. While she acknowledges the health benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and mothers, Covington said the study is not aimed at trying to make women feel bad about not breastfeeding.

"Aspirating fluid may mimic the process afforded by breastfeeding of cleansing the breast ducts of cancer-causing substances," Covington said. "All women may benefit."

The study will look at women from ages 18 to 65 and evaluate changes in those fluids because of dietary, environmental and physical factors.

If the trials are successful, Covington says the result could be revolutionary in assessing breast cancer risk factors. Ultimately, the aspiration device would be available in individual doctor's offices. If inducing breast fluid flow proves to decrease the level of cancer-causing chemicals for most women, the device could be used by women at home on a regular basis.

While not designed to replace the regular mammograms women currently undergo to check for breast cancer, Covington's procedure and device could significantly increase the chances for early detection and treatment of the disease.

"What we've developed is a very simple way of addressing a major, major health concern of American women today," Covington said.

For more information on participating in the study call (313) 577-4092. For additional information on Covington's work, call Juanita Smith (313) 577-8605 or Tom Tigani at (313) 577-2150.