Mutations in one gene can cause many cancers, study shows
Monday, March 29, 2010 - 22:21
in Biology & Nature
An important gene that normally protects the body from cancer can itself cause a variety of cancers depending on the specific mutation that damages it. People who inherit a mutated copy of the PTEN gene have Cowden syndrome, a condition that carries a high risk of cancer in organs such as the breast, thyroid and ovary. This study linked specific mutations in the gene to distinct kinds of cancer in organs targeted by the syndrome.