Gene that doubles risk of breast cancer found

Natalia · Supporter Joined: 27 Mar 2006 Posts: 359

Scientists managed to identify a gene that may help in recognizing women who are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. Women who were found to have this gene were twice as likely to develop the disease.
It is actually a damaged version of a ATM gene that increases the breast cancer chances from one in twelve for the general population to one in six.

The study done included 433 breast cancer patients who did not carry the known breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 but did have a family history of the disease. These women and another 521 healthy women were compared in the study and the results showed that there were 12 women with damaged ATM gene among the patient group, and only two in the healthy group.

Nazneen Rahman, the research leader said that the faults in ATM genes do have an effect on breast cancer risk in a small number of women.
However, more research is needed to learn about the ATM gene in order to provide appropriate screening tests and treatments in the future.

Gene that doubles risk of breast cancer found

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