Genes linked to throat cancer found

Islamabad, March 2 (Newswire): Scientists claim to have identified three new genes which are linked to throat cancer, a key breakthrough which could pave the way for more effective treatment against the disease. 

An international team, led by the Genome Institute of Singapore, identified genetic risk factors of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) that advance the understanding of the role played by host genetic variation in influencing susceptibility to this type of throat cancer. 

NPC is a type of cancer that forms in the epithelial lining of the nasopharynx, the area of the upper throat that lies behind the nose. 

To search for the genetic risk factors for NPC, the scientists carried out a comprehensive genetic analysis of the human genome in a large clinical sample of southern Chinese descent — approximately 5,000 patients and 5,000 controls. 

The team found that the genetic variation within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) and the three genes known as TNFRSF19, MDSIEVI1 and CDKN2A/2B can significantly influence a person’s risk of developing NPC. 

The scientists also noticed that these three susceptibility genes for NPC have been reported to be involved in the development of leukemia, suggesting there might be some shared biological mechanism between the developments of these two diseases.