GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH Colorectal, leukemia and lung cancer genes found
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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the US. Each day 100 people are diagnosed with the disease. Richard Houlston, ICR Professor of Molecular and Population Genetics, and his colleagues have pinpointed ten common variations in the human genome that influence an individual’s risk of developing colorectal cancer. This is the first time that common variations have been associated with the risk of developing this disease.
The researchers used a new, powerful technique, called genome wide association studies (GWA Studies), to find these common variants. GWA studies rapidly analyse the whole human genetic code, or genome, to search for genetic variations in patients with cancer and compare these to people without the disease.
Professor Houlston’s group used the same technique to identify specific genes that influence an individual’s risk of developing chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Prior to this, there were no known genes associated with CLL development.
Professor Houlston explains; "This research provides strong evidence that bowel [colorectal] cancer and CLL, in at least some cases, are caused by a combination of different genetic variations, which are inherited."
GWA studies carried out by the group have also provided evidence of common genetic variants that increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer, but only when combined with smoking. Although genes play an important part, undoubtedly, smoking plays the greatest risk in lung cancer development.
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