WASHINGTON -- Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have identified new genes related to colorectal cancer (CRC), according to a new study published on Friday in The American Journal of Human Genetics.
Because only 5 percent of CRC cases are due to known gene defects, this study is designed to identify the remaining CRC-related susceptibility genes. The team built on a previous study which identified a specific region on chromosome 9q that harbors a CRC susceptibility gene.
Upon review of a whole genome scan of all chromosome pairs in 194 families in the United States, the researchers were able to identify additional CRC gene regions on chromosomes 1p, 15q, and 17p.
"The goal of our study is to identify the CRC genes in susceptible patients to better understand who may be prone to develop CRC and why," said Georgia L. Wiesner, lead author of the study. "This study is a step towards the future of genetic testing for the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Americans."
Currently, without new gene tests, family history is the only tool to determine a person's risk for CRC. In the future, once the genes are identified, physicians will be able to use these genetic markers to identify "at risk" patients and to develop better cancer screening strategies, such as colonoscopies well before standard screening begins at age 50.
