ABSTRACT
Study the relationship of digital dermatogletphic patterns of hands in women with breast cancer and or at risk for developing breast cancer. Fingerprints were studied in 616 women in three groups: [1] 154 breast cancer patients, [2] 154 females at increased risk for developing breast cancer and [3] 308 control females for the purpose of finding patterns that would identify those women with breast cancer or those who are predisposed to its development. A pattern of 6 or more digital Whorls was identified more frequently in women with breast cancer [48.7%] as compared in the control group to [27.5%] [P < 0.05]. It was also more frequent in women with known risk factors for breast cancer [47.4%] as compared in the control group to [27.5%] [P < 0.05]. No obvious differences were noted in women at increased risk for developing breast cancer [47.4%] when compared with women who had breast cancer [48.7%]. Digital dermatoglyphics may play an important role in identifying women either with or at increased risk for breast cancer so that either risk reduction measures or earlier therapy may be instituted