Welcome to the website of Dr. Kathleen Arcaro, Associate Professor of Environmental Toxicology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 

Dr. Arcaro's current research focuses on the use of breastmilk to assess breast cancer risk.  Her findings may lead to new early detection methods and new therapies for breast cancer.

New publication:  "Increased promoter methylation in exfoliated breast epithelial cells in women with a previous breast biopsy." 

Read more about this research, view press coverage, and watch an interview with Dr. Arcaro relating to her April, 2011 presentation to the American Association for Cancer Research.  This research was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program.

Current recruitment: 

Dr. Arcaro is currently looking for breastfeeding women to participate in two University of Massachusetts studies.

If you qualify to participate in a study you will be asked to complete a consent form and a questionnaire, and to donate a breastmilk sample from each breast.  

Please see the "Donate breastmilk for a study" page to see if you qualify to participate.