Study Discovers New Genes that Contribute to Breast Cancer

More than 180,000 men and women in the U.S. alone will be diagnosed this year with breast cancer.

New research in genetics has uncovered four additional genes that play a role in breast cancer. Up until now, scientist have only identified 25 percent of the genes that are suspected to cause inherited breast cancer.

The latest culprits, flawed versions of genes called FGFR2, TNRC9, MAP3K1 and LSP1, bring the total to 29 percent.

A group of British-led researchers found the genes in a study of 50,000 women; half healthy, half breast cancer patients. Telltale tags of DNA code among the breast cancer group revealed the four genes.

According to the paper, published in the British science journal Nature, the flawed versions of the genes are common among the general population and are considered relatively low hazard. This means that women who have them have a comparatively small risk of developing cancer.

However, the much rarer genes of BRCA1 and BRCA2 when present run a high risk of developing the disease. These genes are tested for and help to alert women at risk to have regular breast exams.

While scientists don't feel that the new genes are dangerous enough to need individual tests, as more are discovered tests for combinations of these genes could be created. These test could help doctors to make decisions about prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for women who inherit faults in one or more of these genes.

There is much left to be learned about these genes and their role in the development of breast cancer.

Self breast exams, beginning around age 20, are recommended to help early detection of this disease, which is the commonest cancer to strike women. Starting around age 35 or sooner if there is a family history, women should get yearly mammograms to check for tumors.

Scientists have found that MRI can be used to detect tumors that were missed by mammograms in Women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer.

In this study, which included 390 women who had the first tumor detected by a mammogram, MRI where used to find additional tumors in 16 percents of the women.

Dr. Laura Mallow of the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, Florida led the study and believes that this "can be vital in helping women choose the right course of treatment for their breast cancer."

At a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago, Vallow and her Colleagues revealed that the women with extra tumors in the same breast tended to be younger, and they tended to have larger primary tumors
(the first tumors found).

Due to the fact that cancer tends to be more aggressive when diagnosed in younger women, it is suggested that newly diagnosed cancer may benefit from an MRI scan of the entire breast. This could lead to more breast-conserving surgery for the women.

The team also found that the MRI can be used to detect tumors in the other breast when cancer has been discovered in one already. They said that the MRI detected tumors in the second breast of 3.2 percent of 401 women that were missed by mammograms.

In some cases, MRI found tumors in both breasts left undetected by mammograms.

In March, another team reported similar findings in the New England Journal of Medicine. It is now recommended by the American Cancer Society that women with cancer in one breast should get an MRI scan of the other breast to make sure the cancer is not there, too.