The study only involved 29 saliva samples, and more research is needed.

However, the results remain “very exciting because this device could improve access to breast cancer screening and significantly reduce health care costs,” said study co-author Dr. Coy Heldermon, a breast oncologist at University of Florida Health in Gainesville.

“If all holds true, it would be a game-changer,” he said in a university news release.

Access to screening remains a barrier to spotting breast cancers early, when they are most amenable to treatment.

The American Cancer Society currently recommends that average-risk women get their first mammogram at age 40, and an MRI if they have specific risk factors, such as a family history of the disease.