​Breast cancer: Four new genes have been identified by scientists​

In what can be said as a major breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, scientists have identified four new genes associated with the disease. In the study published in the journal Nature Genetics, the researchers have identified new genes responsible for breast cancer from among 26,000 women with the disease and 2.17 lakh women without it. The study was led by researchers at the University of Cambridge in the UK and Université Laval, Canada.

"To our knowledge, this is the largest study of its kind," said Professor Douglas Easton, from the University of Cambridge, who co-led the study. The participants were from eight countries in Europe and Asia. For the study, the researchers used data from the UK Biobank and from multiple collaborators in many countries.

The four new genes that have been identified are: MAP3K1, LZTR1, ATRIP, CDKN2A and SAMHD1. Identification of these new genes will contribute to the understanding of the genetic risk of breast cancer and help improve risk prediction by better identifying those women at higher risk of the disease, the researchers have said. "Improving genetic counselling for high-risk women will promote shared decision-making regarding risk reduction strategies, screening and determination of treatment options," said Professor Jacques Simard of Universita Laval, co-lead of the study.

In 2020, breast cancer claimed 685000 lives globally while more than 2.3 million women were diagnosed with it. "As of the end of 2020, there were 7.8 million women alive who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 5 years, making it the world’s most prevalent cancer. Breast cancer occurs in every country of the world in women at any age after puberty but with increasing rates in later life," the WHO shared in a report in July. The identification of four new genes will help in the early diagnosis of the disease.

The common symptoms of breast cancer are a lump or thickening of the breast, change in size of the breast, change in the appearance of the breast, redness or changes in the skin of the breast, change in the appearance or size of the nipple and abnormal discharge from the nipple are the early signs of breast cancer which one should not ignore.

The common risk factors of breast cancer are age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol, family history of breast cancer, history of radiation exposure, reproductive history (such as age that menstrual periods began and age at first pregnancy), tobacco use and postmenopausal hormone therapy. "Approximately half of breast cancers develop in women who have no identifiable breast cancer risk factor other than gender (female) and age (over 40 years)," the WHO report says. (With inputs from PTI)

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