New genetic variants associated with breast cancer identified

Conclusion This large analysis of data has identified 65 more SNPs associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. These variations hadn't previously been associated with overall breast cancer risk. A second, smaller study published at the same time identified another 7 variations specifically associated with an increased risk of oestrogen receptor negative breast cancer, a type of breast cancer that's notoriously hard to treat. In total, these studies bring the number of SNPs associated with breast cancer to about 180. Although these are interesting findings, there are a few points to bear in mind: The variations investigated in this type of study don't usually cause the increase in risk. Instead, they usually lie near a gene that's actually affecting the risk. Researchers have started to look for these genes, but as yet we can't say this specific piece of research "found 180 breast cancer genes". The individual variations identified are only associated with small increases in risk, and many women will carry them. This is very different from the mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes that cause breast cancer – these are rare and have a bigger impact on risk. The researchers and some of the news sources suggest that this study's findings could help with the early detection and prevention of breast cancer. While this may be the case in the longer term, it's still early days when it comes to using this data for recommending preventative treatment like ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Source Type: news