5/30/2010 PERMALINK
Scientists find genes associated with throat cancer through study of over 10,000 subjects. Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Centre : Scientists have identified three new susceptibility genes in a genome-wide association study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). 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 researchers found that the genetic variation within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) [1] and the three genes known as TNFRSF19, MDSIEVI1 and CDKN2A/2B can significantly influence a person's risk of developing NPC.