I am very excited to be able to offer the HALO Breast Pap Test to my patients. This test is clearly an advance in breast cancer risk assessment for young premenopausal women, often not included in routine screening guidelines. Mammography typically starts at age 40, so younger women often rely only on breast self-examination and clinical breast examination (a breast exam performed by a physician).

While the risk of breast cancer increases with age, young women certainly do develop breast cancer. The development of atypical cells in the milk ducts (atypical ductal hyperplasia, or ADH) is a risk factor for the future development of breast cancer. In fact, a woman who is found to have ADH on a biopsy is 4 – 5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than a woman with normal cells. However, up until now we’ve had to wait until calcifications or other changes develop on a woman’s mammogram before we knew that there was anything wrong. While other methods of evaluating changes in the cells of the milk ducts, like ductal lavage and ductoscopy, provide information on early cellular changes, they are not widely available for women – there are only a few physicians in the country performing these procedures.

The significance of the HALO Breast Pap Test is that it is a simple, noninvasive method to evaluate cellular changes in fluid found in the milk ducts – changes that may occur many years before a lump is felt or changes are noted on a mammogram or ultrasound. This way if abnormalities are noted, intervention can occur much earlier, before a cancer has even developed.

The HALO Breast Pap Test is an FDA-approved, noninvasive method of screening for cellular atypia in the milk ducts. This office-based procedure takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. The device is similar in appearance to a breast pump, and the procedure is not painful. HALO uses a combination of warmth, massage and suction to elicit nipple aspirate fluid or NAF from the milk ducts. If nipple aspirate fluid is obtained, it is sent to the lab for analysis, similar to a cervical pap test. If atypia is found, counseling regarding risk-reduction methods and appropriate screening tests is provided. The test is recommended for asymptomatic (healthy), premenopausal women age 25 and up for whom standard mammographic screening either does not apply or has limited sensitivity.

Our office is proud to offer the HALO Breast Pap Test and counseling regarding the test and results. Please feel free to contact us if you feel you would benefit from a consultation regarding your breast cancer risk and the HALO Breast Pap Test.