Dr Simon Vincent, director of research, support and influencing at Breast Cancer Now, said:
"Early detection is one of our greatest weapons against breast cancer and these initial findings, which suggests new tests could be able to detect signs of breast cancer recurrence over a year before symptoms emerge, are incredibly exciting.
"While this research is still in its early stages, catching breast cancer recurrence earlier means treatment is much more likely to destroy the cancer and stop it spreading to other parts of the body, at which point it becomes incurable. With around 11,000 people dying every year in the UK from secondary breast cancer, breakthroughs like these are urgently needed so that we can stop people losing their lives to this devastating disease.
"We look forward to seeing further findings from this promising study and encourage anyone who is affected by breast cancer to contact our helpline by calling 0808 800 6000 for information and support from our expert nurses."