February 16, 2015
Study will help cancer advice
A new study co-authored by University of Otago Professor Parry Guilford has estimated a genetic mutation creates a 70 percent risk of stomach cancer for men in some Maori whanau.
Women in the whanau have a 56 percent risk of stomach cancer and a 42 percent risk of lobular breast cancer, which is harder to detect by mammography than other forms of breast cancer.
The Canadian-led study included a detailed analysis of 75 families around the world with a high incidence of cancer.
These included a Bay of Plenty whanau who lost 25 members to the disease within the space of 30 years.
The common factor was mutations in the E-cadherin gene, known as CDH1.
Professor Guilford says the new study will help better inform whether or not preventative surgery, such as removal of the stomach or mastectomies, is the best treatment option for those carrying a CDH1 gene mutation.
He says hundreds of people from around the world have had their lives saved thanks to the determination of the Maori stomach cancer families to tackle the problem head on.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com