Goopy Ear Wax and Malodorous Armpits May Signal Breast Cancer
If having malodorous armpits (called osmidrosis) and goopy earwax isn't
bad enough, a discovery by Japanese scientists may add a more serious
problem for women facing these cosmetic calamities. That's because
they've found that a gene responsible for breast cancer causes these
physical symptoms. To draw their conclusions, Ishikawa and colleagues monitored the
activities of a protein created by a gene associated with breast
cancer, called "ABCC11." By studying this gene and its complex cellular
and molecular interactions in the body, the researchers discovered a
distinct link between the gene and excessively smelly armpits and wet,
sticky earwax. "These may become lifesaving clues to the early detection and treatment of breast cancer."