Scientists in California have found that a gene mutation previously linked to Jewish breast cancer patients has apparently crossed ethnic lines.
Northern California Cancer Center epidemiologist Esther M. John said that while minority women typically are not urged to receive cancer screenings, gene mutation findings clearly indicate that all women should take precautions, The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday.
The message to doctors is that these mutations don't only occur in white women, they occur in other ethnic groups," John said.
John and her fellow scientists studied more than 3,000 women suffering from the disease, looking for any mutations of the BRCA2 cancer gene.
While the gene typically helps suppress the spread of cancer, a mutation can cause it to make an individual more susceptible to contracting the disease.
The Sun said the study's overall findings suggested that women, no matter what ethnicity they may be, should be screened to ensure they are not carriers who may pass the enhanced risk along to their daughters.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
Related stories:
Study looks at psychological impact of gene test for breast cancer
Personal beliefs about inconclusive DNA testing for hereditary breast cancer are associated with cancer-related worry, and such beliefs are an especially strong predictor of whether women had been able to leave the period of DNA-testing behind, reports a study in the October issue of
Genetics in Medicine, official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG). The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
Deactivating a cancer growth promoter
Three enzymes called phosphatases that shut down a molecule called SRC-3 (steroid receptor coactivator 3) could provide a new pathway for fighting cancer, particularly tumors of the breast and prostate, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal
Molecular Cell.
As personalized, genomic medicine takes off, four developing countries show the way for others
Developing countries that want the benefits of cutting-edge health care possibilities based on the genetic variation of individual citizens and sub-populations need to foster the new science at home, says a major new Canadian study published today by Nature Publishing Group.
Genetic variants associated with vitamin B12
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and their collaborators at Tufts University and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have identified a common genetic influence on B12 vitamin levels in the blood, suggesting a new way to approach the biological connections between an important biochemical variable and deficiency-related diseases.
Calculating how breast cancers will respond to tamoxifen
A discovery by Australian scientists could help clinicians decide which women with breast cancer will make good candidates for anti-oestrogen therapies, such as tamoxifen, and which will not.
Growth factor predicts poor outcome in breast cancer
The response to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) in breast cancer cells predicts an aggressive tumor that is less likely to respond to treatment, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the
Journal of Clinical Oncology. The finding gives impetus to the movement to tailor cancer treatments to attributes of the various tumors.
Olympic Games: Have we reached a plateau in terms of speed?
The world-record pace for the marathon continues to improve for both men and women. For men, the record pace for the marathon is now about as fast as the record pace for the 10,000-meter run just after World War II. Today, champion athletes are running more than four times farther at speeds of well under five minutes per mile.
Neurons created from skin cells of elderly ALS patients
Less than 27 months after announcing that he had institutional permission to attempt the creation of patient and disease-specific stem cell lines, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Principal Faculty member Kevin Eggan today proclaimed the effort a success - though politically imposed restrictions and scientific advances prompted him to use a different technique than originally planned.