New study could completely change how we diagnose cancer patients

While we’re still learning how to best treat cancer, doctors have gotten better at spotting it in its earliest stage. That’s thanks to specific cancer markers—cells that often appear when invasive cancer cells are present in the body. But a new study could throw all that out.

Aneuploid cells are a common clue doctors look for when checking for invasive breast cancer. These cells have an abnormal number of chromosomes, and many believe that imbalance is what helps the cancer spread and evade the body’s immune system.