Breast Cancer Gene Discovered

The absence of inactivity of a gene discovered by US scientists is believed to be associated with non-hereditary breast cancer.

Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York and the University of Washington, in Seattle have discovered a particular gene was missing in 60% of the breast cancer cases examined.

The absence of the gene, labeled DBC2 (deleted in breast cancer), is one of the first to be identified with tumour suppression. The study showed the production of BDC2 in cancerous cells in the breast killed the cells or stopped the cancer’s progression.

Since the early 1990’s, researchers have identified a total of eight genes that play a role in the development of breast cancer.

Worldwide, breast cancer kills 400,000 women each year and is the second leading cause of death from cancer next to lung cancer. Researchers state that the production of this gene could also play a role in certain cases of lung cancer.

This study is to be published in the October 15 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

(Source: ABC Online)