 |
|
Breast Cancer Gene Reviewed
September 25, 2002PRESS CONFERENCE - 0930 H Thursday 26 September at Cancer Research UK, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK; Further information from Cancer Research UK Press Office (see below).
A review article in this week's issue of THE LANCET assesses the impact of BRCA1 gene mutations-known to be strongly associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer-on the management of patients.
The BRCA1 gene was identified in 1990 and cloned in 1994. Around 1 in 500 to 1 in 800 women have a BRCA1 gene mutation; women with familial breast or ovarian cancer have a germline mutation of the gene, which gives them a lifetime risk of breast cancer of around 50-85%, and ovarian cancer of 15-60%. Although a genetic test for identification of high-risk individuals has been developed, the underlying mechanisms of how inactivation of the BRCA1 gene leads to malignant cell growth is not fully understood. .
Paul Harkin and Richard Kennedy from Queens University, Belfast, UK, and colleagues examine the mechanisms that underlie inactivation of BRCA1 and assess how they affect the management of patients, in terms of both primary (eg. Prophylactic surgery such as mastectomy or oopherectomy and preventative use of drug therapy) and secondary cancer prevention strategies (eg. Early identification and treatment of tumours). The authors also assess the potential usefulness of BRCA1 as a prognostic tool and as a predictive marker of response to different classes of drugs.
Richard Kennedy comments: "The association between dysfunction of BRCA1 and the development of cancer emphasises the importance of the application of modern molecular biology to clinical practice. The identification of BRCA1 and the understanding of its role and function have greatly changed patients' management."
Paul Harkin adds: "It will become increasingly important over the next few years to relate clinical findings to the underlying molecular biology of cancer, and to find clinically relevant applications for the discovery of new genes and molecular pathways in the laboratory. Only in this way can innovative cancer treatments be rationally designed and tested."
Lancet
Cancer News and Current Cancer Events RSSNew insights into the regulation of PTEN tumor suppression function
The PTEN tumor suppressor gene controls numerous biological processes including cell proliferation, cell growth and death. But PTEN is frequently lost or mutated; in fact, alteration of the gene is so common among various types of human cancer that PTEN has become one of the most frequently mutated of all tumor suppressors.
Researchers discover how rheumatoid arthritis causes bone loss
Researchers have discovered key details of how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) destroys bone, according to a study published in the Aug. 22 edition of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Making 'good' fat from muscle and vice versa
A surprise discovery -- that calorie-burning brown fat can be produced experimentally from muscle precursor cells in mice -- raises the prospect of new ways to fight obesity and overweight, say scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Researchers discover scent of skin cancer
According to new research from the Monell Center, odors from skin can be used to identify basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer. The findings, presented at the 236th meeting of the American Chemical Society, may open doors to development of new methods to detect basal cell carcinoma and other forms of skin cancer.
Cervical cancer prevention should focus on vaccinating adolescent girls
The cost-effectiveness of vaccination in the United States against human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually-transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, will be optimized by achieving universal vaccine coverage in young adolescent girls, by targeting initial "catch-up" efforts to vaccinate women younger than 21 years of age, and by revising current screening policies.
Obesity raises risks of serious digestive health concerns
The prevalence of obesity and overweight in the United States coupled by the increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases related to obesity raises serious implications for the health of Americans.
Bowel cancer indicator should lead to better treatment
STEM cell scientists have developed a more accurate way of identifying aggressive forms of bowel cancer, which should eventually lead to better treatment and survival rates.
Stem cell indicator for bowel cancer should lead to better survival rates
Stem cell scientists have developed a more accurate way of identifying aggressive forms of bowel cancer, which should eventually lead to better treatment and survival rates. Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in the UK.
Infection Blocks Lung's Protective Response Against Tobacco Smoke
An infection that often goes undetected can block the lung's natural protective response against tobacco smoke, according to researchers at National Jewish Health.
NYU scientists identify critical protein complex in formation of cell cilia
An international team led by NYU Cancer Institute have identified a protein complex that regulates the formation of cilia, which are found on virtually all mature human cells and are essential to normal cell function.
More Cancer News Articles
 | The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." --Randy Pausch A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to... |
 | The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health by T. Colin Campbell, Thomas M. Campbell II Referred to as the "Grand Prix of epidemiology" by The New York Times, this study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition with surveys from 6,500 adults in more than 2,500 counties across China and Taiwan, and conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. While revealing that proper nutrition can have a dramatic effect on reducing... |
 | My Sister's Keeper: A Novel by Jodi Picoult New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots... |
 | Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel Fuhrman When Mehmet Oz or any of New York's leading doctors has a patient whose life depends on losing weight, they call on Joel Fuhrman, M.D. In EAT TO LIVE, Dr. Fuhrman offers his healthy, effective, and scientifically proven plan for shedding radical amounts of weight quickly, and keeping it off.Losing weight under Dr. Fuhrman's plan is not about willpower, it is about knowledge. The key to this... |
 | Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Silent Spring, released in 1962, offered the first shattering look at widespread ecological degradation and touched off an environmental awareness that still exists. Rachel Carson's book focused on the poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products as well as the use of sprays in agriculture, a practice that led to dangerous chemicals to the food source. Carson argued that... |
 | Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes In this groundbreaking book, the result of seven years of research in every science connected with the impact of nutrition on health, award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong.For decades we have been taught that fat is bad for us, carbohydrates better, and that the key to a healthy weight is eating less and... |
 | Apples and Oranges: My Brother and Me, Lost and Found by Marie Brenner To be sure, some brothers and sisters have relationships that are easy. But oh, some relationships can be fraught. Confusing, too: How can two people share the same parents and turn out to be entirely different?Marie Brenner’s brother, Carl—yin to her yang, red state to her blue state—lived in Texas and in the apple country of Washington state, cultivating his orchards,... |
 | It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong, Sally Jenkins People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a... |
 | Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth? by Robert Schwartz Courageous Souls explores the premise that we are all eternal souls who plan our lives, including our greatest challenges, before we re born for purposes of spiritual growth. The book contains ten true stories of people who planned physical illness, having handicapped children, deafness, blindness, drug addiction, alcoholism, losing a loved one, and severe accidents. Because very different life... |
 | Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, Second Edition by Patrick C. Walsh, Janet Farrar Worthington EVERY MAN NEEDS THIS BOOK! Each year, more than 200,00 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. The good news is that more men are being cured of this disease than ever before. Now in a revised second edition, this lifesaving guide by Dr. Patrick Walsh and ard-winning science writer Janet Farrar Worthington offers a message of hope to every man facing this illness. Prostate cancer is... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |