Study Shows Gene Variations May Predict Risk of Breast Cancer in WomenMay 05, 2008According to a recent study, led by Virginia Kaklamani, MD, an oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and assistant professor of medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, variations of the adiponectin gene, which regulates a number of metabolic processes, may increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. This discovery is an important step forward in cancer genetics research, as it could help experts develop a future genetic testing model to more accurately predict a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. Dr. Kaklamani's research, which is published in the May 1 issue of Cancer Research, suggests some women are born with different characteristics in the adiponectin gene which can alter its function and increase the risk of breast cancer. This finding, coupled with previous studies that have found a correlation between low levels of adiponectin in the body and cancer risk, suggest adiponectin may be the third gene linked to breast cancer among women with no previous family history of breast cancer. If confirmed through additional studies, adiponectin could be used along with TGF-beta and CHEK2, genes that have already been linked to breast cancer, to create a genetic testing model that will allow clinicians to more accurately predict breast cancer risk. Clinicians currently rely on epidemiologic models to predict breast cancer risk. The most common is the GAIL model, which looks at a number of factors including a woman's current age, the age she began menstruating, her age at menopause, age of first live birth, previous biopsies and family history. "All we know is that one in eight women will get breast cancer somehow, for some reason," says Dr. Kaklamani. "One explanation for this is genetic background, and the adiponectin gene is one that may be responsible. By pinpointing which genes are associated with breast cancer risk, we can better predict risk, and ultimately may be able to enhance efforts for breast cancer prevention," adds Kaklamani. Genetic testing is already being used among women with a strong family history of breast cancer to determine if the BRCA genes are present, which have been linked to hereditary breast cancer. However, the vast majority of women diagnosed with breast cancer each year do not have familial breast cancer, leaving a large number of breast cancers unexplained. "With further research and testing, our hope is that some day all women may be able to proactively test their genetic risk for breast cancer. By doing so, those found to have a high risk could work with their physician to take preventative measures that may lower their risk and aid in early detection, such as having frequent mammograms and undergoing a breast MRI," said Kaklamani. "This is still in the distant future, however each day researchers take one step closer," adds Kaklamani. Northwestern Memorial |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles Carnegie Mellon researchers link health-care debate to risk of dying in US and Europe The current health care debate in the United States is complicated. Trade-offs between heath care expenditures, lifestyle choices and life expectancy have been suggested but seldom clearly demonstrated. Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer. Breast density associated with increased risk of cancer recurrence A new study finds that women treated for breast cancer are at higher risk of cancer recurrence if they have dense breasts. Published in the December 15, 2009 issue of Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study's results indicate that breast cancer patients with dense breasts may benefit from additional therapies following surgery, such as radiation. Researcher: 'Optical biopsy' for breast cancer increasingly accurate But women may not have to endure the medical costs, stress and potential complications that accompany such invasive biopsies forever. A University of Florida biomedical engineering researcher is making progress on an "optical biopsy" that has the potential to determine whether growths are cancerous without ever puncturing the skin. Plastic surgeons offer microsurgery technique for breast reconstruction, tummy tuck after mastectomy Since her teens, Jennifer Jablon had watched family members deal with breast cancer during their 40s, 50s, and 60s. She wondered whether it would be her fate too. Experimental agent reduces breast cancer metastasis to bone Researchers have reduced breast cancer metastasis to bone using an experimental agent to inhibit ROCK, a protein that was found to be over-expressed in metastatic breast cancer. American Dietetic Association Releases Updated Position Paper Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on breastfeeding that details health benefits for both infants and mothers and encourages promotion of breastfeeding whenever possible. Weight Training Boosts Breast Cancer Survivors' Body Image and Satisfaction with Intimate Relationships, Penn Study Shows In addition to building muscle, weightlifting is also a prescription for self-esteem among breast cancer survivors, according to new University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine research. Early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer patients at increased risk of recurrence Early-stage breast cancer patients with HER2 positive tumors one centimeter or smaller are at significant risk of recurrence of their disease, compared to those with early-stage disease who do not express the aggressive protein, according to a study led by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Adapting Space-Industry Technology to Treat Breast Cancer Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. More Breast Cancer Current Events and Breast Cancer News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||