More Evidence that Genes Increase Smoker’s Risk of Lung Cancer
20 August 2009 - Scientists have confirmed that inherited changes in certain regions of the genome can increase a smoker’s risk of developing lung cancer, and determine the type of lung cancer that develops.
Researchers at The Institute of Cancer (ICR) scanned the genomes of 1,900 lung cancer patients and compared them to 1,400 healthy individuals to identify specific changes in the DNA that were linked with an increased risk of lung cancer. They then scanned the genes of a further 2,000 lung cancer patients for these changes and compared these to a similar number of healthy people.
This identified changes in three regions of the genome which were more common in lung cancer patients than healthy individuals. These regions sat on chromosomes 5, 6, and 15, implicating these regions in lung cancer.
These variants are located in a family of genes that influence smoking behaviour and consumption of tobacco. In addition this set of genes also influences cell growth and cell death.
According to lead author Professor Richard Houlston’s fundings, current or former smokers who carry one copy of each variant increase their risk of lung cancer by 28 per cent while current or former smokers who carry two copies of each variant increase their risk by 80 percent. While people who do not smoke can also carry these changes the risk is only increased in those that smoke.
