Harvard Women's Health Watch, September 2001 has an article on
the usefulness of breast milk duct lavage in screening high risk
women for cancer cells or atypical pre-cancerous cells.

"The rationale for ductal lavage is compelling.  Most breast cancers
begin in the cells lining the milk ducts, but by the time cancer is
evident on a mammogram, or can be felt in a physical exam, it usually
has been growing for years.  Doctors have wanted a way to detect cancer
much earlier.  In studies thus far, ductal lavage not only has revealed
abnormal cells before a mammogram or physical exam would have been
positive, butg also has retrieved about 40,000 cellsper duct for
analysis.  A standard breast aspiration yields only about 100 cells.

However, doctors aren't sure how to use the information it provides.
The presence of such cells doesn't mean that cancer is inevitable.  Most
atypical cells do not progress to cancer."

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