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Genes that triple bowel cancer risk found
London, Dec 17 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, scientists have found two flawed genes that could triple the risk of developing bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease.
The finding will hasten the search to find new ways of treating and even preventing the disease.
According to Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, the two sections of flawed DNA are thought to be common and linked to around 15 per cent of bowel cancers. If carried with a bowel cancer gene, the two stretches of DNA could double or even treble the risk of bowel cancer.
The two rogue stretches, which have not been given names, were found after researchers scrutinised the DNA of 15,000 people.
The
Daily
Mirror
quoted
Professor
Ian
Tomlinson,
of
Cancer
Research
Britain's
London
Research
Institute
and
joint
lead
researcher
on
the
study
as
saying,
''Increasing
our
understanding
of
genes
like
this
may
make
it
possible
for
scientists
to
eventually
develop
ways
of
stopping
many
people
at
increased
risk
of
bowel
cancer
from
developing
the
disease
altogether.''
Professor
Richard
Houlston,
of
the
Institute
of
Cancer
Research
at
the
University
of
London,
and
the
study's
co-leader,
said,
''By
pinpointing
more
genes
which
increase
an
individual's
risk
of
bowel
cancer,
we
ultimately
hope
to
improve
diagnosis
and
treatment
of
this
cancer.''
UNI
