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Thursday, 11 April 2013 16:07

Major breakthrough in the early detection of cancer

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cellsThe biggest breakthrough in understanding the genetics of cancer before. So Iyls Ross, professor of cancer genetics at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, described the results of an international effort of more than 1,000 scientists, presented in late Wednesday.

Their study - the largest ever study of "faults" of DNA that promote the development of cancer - revealed a series of genetic markers with which can identify people most likely to develop these conditions. In this case for three of the most encountered its forms - prostate, breast and ovarian.

According to London's "Guardian" doctors have said that they can in five years with a simple saliva test based markers make for each risk profile and create a foundation for individual monitoring. For people with an increased risk of developing cancer would go more often reviewing and possibly developing cancer will be detected at an early stage, when there is a much greater chance of prolonging life.

Test based on genetic markers can identify men who are 50% likely to become ill from prostate cancer. This would not only allow the UK have called for a national program. screening of men, it will stop the practice because of inaccurate blood tests a quarter of people with this diagnosis are treated, there was no need.

To identify genetic markers for prostate cancer, the researchers compared the DNA data of 25,000 patients with the disease with the same number of healthy men. So were discovered 23 new "defect" in the DNA, increasing the risk of disease, 16 were identified as "culprits" to reach the most aggressive form. In practice, few men wear markers for prostate cancer, but 1% of them have DNA "defects" that increase the risk of developing it 5 times.

The same procedure has found 49 new DNA "defect" associated with the risk of developing breast cancer.

The third part of the project included the 130 institutes worldwide to compare DNA profiles of women with ovarian cancer with this healthy. This established eight new sections of DNA associated with increased risk of disease.

Professor Iyls believe that a simple test in the GP's office soon enough every patient to have a personal account of the risk of these diseases. Physicians can improve performance by adding factors of lifestyle specific person - the risk of breast cancer, for example, alcohol increases and decreases from birth and breastfeeding.

The big problem started after that - experts disagree on what age should these tests, complement it with ultrasound, magnetic rezonas and biopsies and what kind therapy to apply.

The result of the research was published in Nature Genetics and several other scientific journals.

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