PHOENIX -- A new blood test may help detect breast cancer earlier than mammograms.

Dr. Christa Corn, a surgeon and breast cancer specialist in Phoenix, told television station KPHO that the biomarker translation test, also known as the BT test, from Provista Life Sciences is 80 percent accurate and can give women peace of mind.

The test evaluates the levels of cancer-causing proteins in the blood to help determine the probability that a patient has breast cancer.

Corn said it will be instrumental in finding early traces of breast cancer that may not show up on mammograms, MRIs or other images.

"It will help us find women who are reacting to breast cancer early and will make us pay attention to that woman that may have," she said. "It may be difficult to image, but if (a patient is) reacting to it on a blood test, then I'm going to try every different image I can to try and see this, because if I can pick it up at 5 or 6 millimeters, that's a 95 percent cure."

KPHO reported that patients may have to ask physicians to run the test, but that most insurance companies cover the $395 cost.

Patient Debbie Gaby said giving up a few vials of blood is worth it.

"If you can give blood and it can be analyzed and diagnosed to the early stages of breast cancer, I'm all for it," she said.

Corn cautioned, however, that the blood test should not be used as a replacement for regular mammograms.