Researchers in this study wanted to understand whether changes in the immune system within breast tissue might occur before cancer develops. While many studies focus on immune cells inside tumors, much less is known about how the immune environment in non-cancerous or pre-cancerous breast tissue may influence cancer risk.
To investigate this, the researchers analyzed breast tissue from two groups: healthy women and women with benign breast disease, a condition that increases the risk of developing breast cancer. They examined different types of immune cells present in the breast tissue to see whether there were differences between these groups.
The researchers found that tissue from women with benign breast disease had higher levels of several immune cell types, especially immune cells involved in inflammation. At the same time, they observed that lower levels of B cells were linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer. They also found increased numbers of macrophages, which are immune cells that can contribute to inflammation.
Overall, the findings suggest that early changes in the immune environment of the breast—before cancer forms—may play a role in whether breast cancer develops.
