New study sheds light on genetic cancer risk variants

A UK research team have announced results from a groundbreaking study that reveals new insights into the genetic variations that can raise the risk of breast, prostate or ovarian cancer.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Institute of Cancer Research in London have studied more than 200,000 people to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) linked to an increased risk of developing cancer.

They were able to identify more than 80 regions of the genome that can increase an individual's risk of breast, prostate and ovarian cancers, a discovery that could support the development of new therapy options and targeted screening programmes.

Dr Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research UK – which funded the study – said: "We can look towards an era where we can identify them and take steps to reduce their chances of getting cancer or pick up the disease in its earliest stages."

Last week, Cancer Research UK published data showing that advances in medical treatments have led to the number of teenagers and young adults dying from cancer dropping by almost half in the last 30 years.