Deep in a laboratory freezer, 100,000 vials of blood have been frozen for the better part of five decades. For scientists, it is a treasure trove. Collected from more than 15,000 San Francisco Bay Area women after they gave birth in the 1960s, each vial of blood holds a woman’s lifetime of secrets. Scientists say these vials could help them unravel one of the most enduring medical mysteries: Why do some women, with no family history, develop breast cancer? Their blood bears the chemical signature of environmental pollutants, some long banned. Reporter Lindsey Konkel profiles the women’s blood samples, which have lived in obscurity for decades, and reveals how scientists are using them to help pinpoint causes of breast cancer.
