Gene variations alter risk of esophageal cancerNovember 06, 2008HOUSTON - Variations in a common gene pathway may affect esophageal cancer risk, a dangerous and rapidly increasing type of cancer, according to research by scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Results of the study, which is the first to look at the association between variations in genes related to microRNAs (miRNAs) and esophageal cancer, are published in the November issue of Cancer Prevention Research, a journal of the American Association of Cancer Research. "Previous research has shown miRNAs control approximately one-third of human genes and may play a part in cancer risk," said the study's lead author, Xifeng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at M. D. Anderson. "But whether genetic variants of miRNA-related genes influence esophageal cancer has largely remained unknown." To examine the potential roles of these variations in esophageal cancer, researchers looked at the relationships among 41 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 26 miRNA-related genes and risk of esophageal cancer. SNPs are places in the human genome that vary by a single DNA chemical building block or nucleotide. Seven genotypes were significantly associated with esophageal cancer risk, and four more showed at least a borderline significance. The risk of esophageal cancer became higher in correlation to an increase in the number of the unfavorable genotypes present. "This research showed not only that a single gene contributes to the risk of esophageal cancer, but more importantly that the joint effect of several genetic elements can increase risk," said the study's first author, Yuanqing Ye, Ph.D., an instructor in the Department of Epidemiology at M. D. Anderson. Esophageal cancer ranks sixth in cancer-related deaths worldwide, and it is becoming more common. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 16,000 people will be diagnosed and more than 14,000 people will die of the disease in the United States this year. "Incidence of esophageal cancer has increased six-fold in the past three decades, and the survival rate is poor," Wu said. "MicroRNAs are exciting because they can modulate the expression of so many human genes." Major risk factors for esophageal cancer include tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and reflux disease. The high prevalence of these risk factors in the general population and rare occurrence of this disease provide a clue that genetic predisposition to the disease may play an important role. Researchers recruited 346 people who were newly diagnosed with esophageal cancer at M. D. Anderson and matched them by age, gender and ethnicity to 346 people without cancer. Only results for Caucasians were reported because of the low numbers of other races that enrolled. While patients tended to be current smokers and have higher body mass index (BMI), there was no difference between the two groups in alcohol consumption. One of the most notable findings was a SNP in the mir423 region, which was associated with a significantly lower esophageal cancer risk. The protective effect was significant for smokers and nonsmokers 64 years old and younger, but not for older subjects. Mir423 also is found in leukemia cells and is altered significantly in other diseases including heart disease and Alzheimer's disease. Future large-scale, multi-center studies are necessary to confirm these findings, Wu said. "Our ultimate goal is to construct a comprehensive risk prediction model that includes not only genetic factors, but epidemiological and clinical variables as well, in hopes of predicting the probability of developing esophageal cancer in general population," she said. University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center |
|||||||||||||||||||||
| Related Esophageal Cancer Current Events and Esophageal Cancer News Articles Reflux esophagitis due to immune reaction, not acute acid burn, UT Southwestern researchers report Contrary to current thinking, a condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) might not develop as a direct result of acidic digestive juices burning the esophagus, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found in an animal study. African-Americans with colorectal cancer have poorer outcomes, lower survival rates New research published in the November issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that African-American patients with colorectal cancer are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced disease and are less likely to undergo surgical procedures compared with Caucasians, suggesting that improvements in screening and rates of operation may reduce differences in colorectal cancer outcomes for African-Americans. Surgeons at Boston Medical Center offering new procedure for acid reflux/GERD Boston Medical Center (BMC) surgeons are now offering patients an incisionless alternative to laparoscopic and traditional surgery for treatment of acid reflux or GERD. Barrett's esophagus patients have same survival rates as general population New Mayo Clinic research has found that survival rates of patients with Barrett's esophagus, which can be a precursor for esophageal cancer, are no different than the survival rates for the general population. GERD negatively impacts sleep quality, results in considerable economic burden There has been much debate about the relationship between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep. Heavy drinkers face significantly increased cancer risk Heavy drinkers of beer and spirits face a much higher risk of developing cancer than the population at large, says a group of Montreal epidemiologists and cancer researchers. University of Saskatchewan and Canadian Synchrotron researchers shed light on esophageal disease Canadian Light Source (CLS) staff scientist Luca Quaroni and Dr. Alan Casson, Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) used the synchrotron's infrared microscope to identify tissue afflicted with a condition known as Barrett's Esophagus from chemical fingerprints associated with the disease, which can lead to esophageal cancer. NEJM study finds radiofrequency ablation can reverse Barrett's esophagus, reduce cancer risk Patients who have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) for a prolonged period have an increased risk of developing Barrett's esophagus, a pre-cancerous condition where the tissue lining the esophagus becomes damaged by stomach acid and transformed into something like the inside of the stomach. Technique eradicates problems in most patients with Barrett's esophagus A procedure that uses heat generated by radio waves to treat Barrett's esophagus, a condition caused by acid reflux (severe heartburn), can eliminate signs of the potentially cancer-causing disorder and reduce the risk that the disease will progress. Study examines reliability of clinical and pathological diagnoses of Barrett's esophagus In a review of more than 2,000 patients coded for Barrett's esophagus, electronic diagnosis overestimated the prevalence of the disease according to researchers in California. More Esophageal Cancer Current Events and Esophageal Cancer News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||