Scientists from University of Hawaii at Manoa find genetic markerSeptember 01, 2009A new genetic marker associated with ovarian cancer risk was recently discovered by an international research group, led by scientists from the Cancer Research Genetic Epidemiology Unit in the United Kingdom. Drs. Marc Goodman, Galina Lurie, Michael Carney, and Keith Terada of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa's Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i participated in the validation of the discovered genetic marker as a part of the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium, a worldwide forum of scientists performing ovarian cancer research. "The discovery . . . represents not only a triumph of team science, but also a fulfillment of the vision of the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund and its donors," says Dr. Andrew Berchuck at Duke University, chair of the consortium. Over the last six years, the consortium has been supported by generous donations from the family and friends of Kathryn Sladek Smith in the New York area. The results of this work appeared in the July 2, 2009 issue of Nature Genetics. Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. The five-year relative survival rates are currently 93 percent for localized disease, 71 percent for regional disease, and 31 percent for distant disease. However, only 25 percent of women with ovarian carcinoma are diagnosed at a localized stage mostly because symptoms are vague and a reliable screening method for early detection has not been established. Ovarian cancer is already known to be linked to the variations in the breast cancer genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2. But these variations are rare, and alone they account for less than five percent of all cases of ovarian cancer. It is likely that the remaining risk is due to a combination of several unidentified genes that individually carry a low to moderate risk of the disease. The study used a genome-wide association design in which the frequencies of hundreds of thousands of genetic variations across the genome are compared between large numbers of cases and unaffected controls. Overall more than 20,000 women participated in this study. In the first stage, more than 620,000 genetic variations were analyzed in the whole genome of 1,817 women with ovarian cancer and compared to 2,353 women without the disease. Through the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium, the most promising markers were subsequently investigated among an additional 7,922 women with ovarian cancer and 10,577 women without disease. The new marker was found on chromosome 9, close to the BNC2 (basonuclin 2) gene that encodes a protein which plays a role in regulation of DNA transcription and is highly expressed in reproductive tissues. This marker is present among 32% of women and contributes an estimated 0.7% to ovarian cancer risk.The association of this marker with risk was stronger for serous carcinoma, the most common (and most lethal) ovarian cancer subtype. University of Hawaii at Manoa |
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| Related Ovarian Cancer Current Events and Ovarian Cancer News Articles FDA approved leukemia drugs shows promise in ovarian cancer cells The drug Sprycel, approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, significantly inhibited the growth and invasiveness of ovarian cancer cells and also promoted their death, a study by researchers with UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center found. 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. Metals could forge new cancer drug Drugs made using unusual metals could form an effective treatment against colon and ovarian cancer, including cancerous cells that have developed immunity to other drugs, according to research at the University of Warwick and the University of Leeds. Breast cancer patients with high risk gene diagnosed 6 years earlier than generation before Women with a deleterious gene mutation are diagnosed with breast cancer six years earlier than relatives of the previous generation who also had the disease and/or ovarian cancer, according to new research from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Cancer Predisposition From Gene Variant Shows Strong Gender Bias Cancer predisposition resulting from the presence of a specific gene variant shows a strong gender bias, researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have demonstrated. Medications Effective in Reducing Risks for Breast Cancer Can Also Cause Serious Side Effects Three drugs that reduce a woman's chance of getting breast cancer also have been shown to cause adverse effects, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. New treatment in sight for ovarian cancer In the future, women with metastatic ovarian cancer could be treated with a radioactive substance that can seek and destroy tumour cells. Young early stage ovarian cancer patients can preserve fertility A new study finds that young women with early-stage ovarian cancer can preserve future fertility by keeping at least one ovary or the uterus without increasing the risk of dying from the disease. Estrogen-Dependent Switch Tempers Killing Activity of Immune Cells The sex hormone estrogen tempers the killing activity of a specific group of immune cells, the cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), which are known to attack tumor cells and cells infected by viruses. Women often opt to surgically remove their breasts, ovaries to reduce cancer risk Many women at high risk for breast or ovarian cancer are choosing to undergo surgery as a precautionary measure to decrease their cancer risk. More Ovarian Cancer Current Events and Ovarian Cancer News Articles |
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