More genes for prostate cancer, better predictions of inherited risk

An international team of scientists has identified 23 new genetic variants linked to a greater risk for prostate cancer.

Although more research is needed, the researchers said their findings, which bring the total number of common gene variants associated with prostate cancer to 100, could help doctors diagnose the disease earlier and could lead to the development of new treatments.

“Our study tells us more about the effect of the genetic hand that men are dealt on their risk of prostate cancer. We know that there are a few major genes that are rare and significantly affect prostate cancer risk, but what we are now learning is that there are many other common genetic variants that individually have only a small effect on risk, but collectively can be very important,” Ros Eeles, a professor of oncogenetics at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, explained in an institute news release.

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