Breast, ovarian cancers newly linked to gene variants
30 Sep 2024 by Ted Escobedo 1 min read
Scientists have pinpointed thousands of genetic changes in a gene that may increase a person's risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, paving the way for better risk assessment and more personalized care.
Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators focused on the 'cancer protection' gene RAD51C, finding over 3,000 harmful genetic changes that could potentially disrupt its function and increase ovarian cancer risk six-fold and risk of aggressive subtypes of breast cancer four-fold. These findings were confirmed by analyzing data from large-scale health databases.
The findings, published September 18 in Cell, are freely available so that they can be immediately used to help doctors and diagnostic laboratory scientists better assess cancer risk, especially for individuals with a family history of these cancers, reducing the uncertainty that often accompanies genetic testing.
The study also identified regions of the protein essential for its function, pointing to new roles in cancer development and potential therapeutic targets.
Know more: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/09/2409...
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