Breast Cancer Risk Gene Found

Newly found research has found a gene that may be a key to detecting breast cancer in women. Research led by the university of Melbourne has found a gene that could possibly predict breast cancer, and work is now being done to see if the gene can be used to predict or detect other types of  cancer. According to Melissa Southey of the Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory,  it is the first cancer risk gene discovered using modern sequencing technology. The gene is called XRCC2 and the gene was discovered using a new technique called "massively parallel sequencing" which allows the sequencing of numerous strands of DNA at high speeds allowing for multiple comparisons.

With this discovery, the team is hoping to be able to help families that have a pattern of breast cancer in their families with no genetic cause. This will especially help families that have individuals who are developing breast cancer at young ages. This gene accounts for 30% of the familial cases of breast cancer, though the other 70% has not been identified, the team hopes that this new discovery will lead to more beneficial steps towards identifying and developing research to help treat multiple types of cancer including prostate and colon cancer.