The medical community is one step closer to understanding and preventing breast cancer thanks to new research into how gene mutations of the BRCA1 gene contribute to the development of breast cancer.

As NewsDaily.com reports, cancer researchers from the United States and Sweden have for the first time discovered that mutations in the BRCA1 gene bring on the disease by switching off the PTEN gene, which suppresses tumors.

"These findings are exciting because ever since the link was established between BRCA1 and breast cancer more than 10 years ago, we have been frustrated by our lack of understanding about how mutations in this gene cause breast cancer," said researcher Ramon Parsons of Columbia University. "We have been stymied by our limited resources to treat these cancers, which are associated with very poor prognoses. Now that we know that PTEN is involved, we finally have a target for therapy for these cancers."

The Daily Mail is also reporting that a new blood test that detects early breast cancer - called "gene expression analysis" - is expected to be available throughout Europe by the end of 2008.