New research uncovers cancer gene

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A gene has been shown to play a role in both breast cancer and Fanconi anemia.
A minority of cases of breast cancer are caused by mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. There are undoubtedly other genes involved in breast cancer and a new one has just been discovered by researchers at the UK Institute of Cancer Research. They studied a group of 923 women with a breast cancer and a family history of the disease. None carried mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2. However, analysis showed mutations in a DNA repair gene called PALB2.

Having a mutated copy of PALB2 proved to increase a woman's lifetime risk of cancer from one in nine to one in five. In a related study, mutations in PALB2 have been shown to be linked to Fanconi anemia in children. The team studied a group of 82 children with Fanconi anemia who did not have mutations in any of the eleven genes already known to be linked to the condition. Fanconi's anemia is linked to a very high risk of childhood cancer. The finding of the PALB2 mutation defines a new subtype of Fanconi anemia and may help better treat children with the condition.

Source
Nature Genetics December 2006

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