An observational study in Breast Cancer, sponsored by University of Aberdeen. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to female participants aged 18 Years to 55 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-08-31.
Sponsored by University of Aberdeen · Observational
Breast cancer is a major and growing health challenge, and the leading cause of cancer in women. As population obesity rates increase, the number of new breast cancer diagnosis continues to rise. Despite treatment advances, breast cancer remains an important cause of premature mortality, taking women in the prime of life. Although underlying susceptibility caused by mutation in the genes including BRCA1/2 is increasingly identified, current pre-symptomatic screening for the general population and those at high genetic risk remains sub-optimal, with high false negative and positive rates.
Alteration of breast lipid composition has been observed by us and others in patients with breast cancer and is thought to precede onset. The investigators have developed and tested a novel method to allow a standard 3T MRI scanner to perform quantitative 3D mapping of specific lipid molecules in the breast.
The investigators will investigate if this method can detect very early breast cancers, and compare the amount and spread of lipid composition in breast tissue of premenopausal women with very high genetic risk of breast cancer, women with breast cancer and women with obesity.
12,544 studies on the registry are indexed under Breast Neoplasms; 2,892 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 30 is below the median of 184 across 2,642 observational studies indexed under Breast Neoplasms.
Browse Breast Neoplasms studies →University of Aberdeen is the lead sponsor of 170 studies on the registry; 23 are open to participants now.
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Women with BRCA1/2 genes will be identified and approached by the geneticist and research nurse at the family high risk clinic. Patients will be identified and approached by the breast surgeon and breast care nurse at the results clinic. Women with obesity will be identified through organisation emails, word of month and leaflets in the community health clinic for residents of Aberdeenshire.
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Women with BRCA1/2 genes:
Women with breast cancer (no obesity):
Women with breast cancer (obesity):
Women with obesity:
Exclusion Criteria:
Diagnostic Test: MRI scan · Biological: Blood test
Diagnostic Test: MRI scan · Biological: Blood test
Diagnostic Test: MRI scan · Biological: Blood test
Participants will undertake a magnetic resonance imaging scan.
Participants will undertake a fasting blood test.
Amount of lipid composition in the breast
The percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids relative to total lipid will be measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner software and MATLAB computer programme. Unit of Measurement: %.
Time frame: One hour
Spatial distribution (skewness) of lipid composition in the breast
Skewness measures the asymmetry in distribution. The skewness of lipid composition in the breast will be measured using MRI scanner software and MATLAB computer programme. Unit of Measurement: unitless.
Time frame: One hour
Spatial distribution (entropy) of lipid composition in the breast
Entropy measures the randomness in distribution. The entropy of lipid composition in the breast will be measured using MRI scanner software and MATLAB computer programme. Unit of Measurement: unitless.
Time frame: One hour
Spatial distribution (kurtosis) of lipid composition in the breast
Kurtosis measures the peakedness in distribution. The kurtosis of lipid composition in the breast will be measured using MRI scanner software and MATLAB computer programme. Unit of Measurement: unitless.
Time frame: One hour
Plan to share: No
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This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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University of Aberdeen