Singapore scientists find risk gene for breast cancer

Singapore's Scientists have discovered a risk gene for breast cancer, according to a local media Channel NewsAsia report on Monday.

Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore and the Karolinka Institute, together with over 20 other international collaborating research groups, made the discovery from a research involving 30,000 women, half of whom have breast cancer.

The report said that the discovery could pave the way for a more targeted research and clinical treatment of the disease.

Working on the same set of genetic targets in breast cancer samples, the scientists pooled their results to reach the significant findings.

The research focused on the Caspase 8 gene, which is present in all humans. It appears as different variants in certain people.

Out of nine previously reported breast cancer susceptibility variants, only a particular one was found to have a significant association with breast cancer, said the report.

This variant, present in approximately 25 percent of Europeans, reduces their risk of breast cancer by as much as 10 percent.

Breast cancer is the number one cancer killer among women in Singapore.

Source: Xinhua