Genes Linked To Bowel Cancer
Genes Linked To Bowel Cancer
Scientists have examined the genes of people with a family history of bowel cancer and in each case have identified that everyone with a faulty particular gene had bowel cancer or a bowel growth.
“Researchers from Oxford University and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, scanned the genes of 20 people from families with a strong history of bowel cancer.
They found everyone who had a faulty gene designated as either “POLE” or “POLD1” developed bowel cancer or had a precancerous growth in the bowel, according to findings published in the journal Nature Genetics.
To confirm their findings they then looked for the faults in almost 4,000 people with bowel cancer and 6,700 without the disease, in work funded by Cancer Research UK.
Neither of the faults were found in people without bowel cancer, while 12 people with the POLE gene were found in the bowel cancer group and one person had a POLD1 gene fault.
POLE and POLD1 are involved in scanning and repairing damage to DNA, removing incorrect sequences from the DNA chain.”
Researchers say that this is one of the most important discoveries for many years in terms of bowel cancer. Not only will it offer more insight into ways to treat and prevent the disease but also will allow better management of the disease.
I think the danger here is that we focus too much on the genes and forget about the other research that has been going on for years that suggests that a western lifestyle such as a poor adulterated diet, pollutants and sedentary lifestyle is as much too blame as everything else. Your thoughts very much appreciated.
