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BACKGROUND: Knowledge is limited regarding the association between stem cells in histologically benign breast tissue and risk factors for breast cancer, and hence we addressed this issue in the present study. Recently, we assessed the histology of benign breast tissue from cancer and non-cancer patients for cells positive for the putative stem cell marker aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 A1 (ALDH), and th

Several common germline variants identified through genome-wide association studies of breast cancer risk in the general population have recently been shown to be associated with breast cancer risk for BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 mutation carriers. When combined, these variants can identify marked differences in the absolute risk of developing breast cancer for mutation carriers, suggesting that additional

INTRODUCTION: Cis-acting regulatory single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at specific loci may modulate penetrance of germline mutations at the same loci by introducing different levels of expression of the wild-type allele. We have previously reported that BRCA2 shows differential allelic expression and we hypothesize that the known variable penetrance of BRCA2 mutations might be associated with

Germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are associated with increased risks of breast and ovarian cancer. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified six alleles associated with risk of ovarian cancer for women in the general population. We evaluated four of these loci as potential modifiers of ovarian cancer risk for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP

Systemic immunosuppression is a risk factor for melanoma, and sunburn-induced immunosuppression is thought to be causal. Genes in immunosuppression pathways are therefore candidate melanoma-susceptibility genes. If variants within these genes individually have a small effect on disease risk, the association may be undetected in genome-wide association (GWA) studies due to low power to reach a high

We performed a multistage genome-wide association study of melanoma. In a discovery cohort of 1804 melanoma cases and 1026 controls, we identified loci at chromosomes 15q13.1 (HERC2/OCA2 region) and 16q24.3 (MC1R) regions that reached genome-wide significance within this study and also found strong evidence for genetic effects on susceptibility to melanoma from markers on chromosome 9p21.3 in the

Three founder mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 contribute to the risk of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in Ashkenazi Jews (AJ). They are observed at increased frequency in the AJ compared to other BRCA mutations in Caucasian non-Jews (CNJ). Several authors have proposed that elevated allele frequencies in the surrounding genomic regions reflect adaptive or balancing selection. Such proposals pre

BACKGROUND: Women with a breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) or breast cancer susceptibility gene 2 (BRCA2) mutation are at increased risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer. Various reproductive and hormonal factors have been shown to modify the risk of breast cancer. These studies suggest that estrogen exposure and deprivation are important in the etiology of hereditary cancer. Man

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies of associations between folate intake and breast cancer are inconclusive, but folate and other plant food nutrients appear protective in women at elevated risk.OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the association between folate intake and the incidence of postmenopausal breast cancer.DESIGN: This prospective study included all women aged >or=50 y (n = 11699) fr

A unifying hypothesis is presented about tumour biology in hereditary breast cancer in relation to the epithelial origin and the degree of differentiation of the normal epithelium at the time of tumour initiation. By using different breast cancer syndromes as examples, it is possible to, at least partly, predict the tumour biology, clinical presentation and therapeutic response.

The overall tumour incidence and breast cancer incidence related to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were followed in a population-based cohort of 29 508 women, aged 25-65 when interviewed in 1990-92. By the end of the follow up in December 1999, there were 226 611 person-years of observation. A total of 1145 malignant tumours were recorded (expected 1166.6; SIR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.93-1.04). There w

A hypothesis is presented suggesting that initiation of breast epithelial cell freezes the cell at least partly according to the development/differention of cell at the time of initiation. Tumour biology will mimic the physiology of normal cell development at the time of initiation and this is preserved at least partly onwards. Also preferentially, tumours will develop from the cell type that is p

A cohort of offspring of mothers with breast or ovarian cancer diagnosed in 1958-1993 was established using Swedish population-based registers. The children (n = 158,041) were born between 1941 and 1993, and their cancer incidence was followed between 1961 and 1993. A total of 3,257 tumors in 3,102 children were found. Observed numbers of cases were compared with expected numbers based on national

BACKGROUND: Colorectal carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in the Western population, and a considerable proportion of colorectal carcinomas are estimated to have a familial background.METHODS: Individuals whose mothers were diagnosed with colon carcinoma or rectal carcinoma from 1958 to 1993, a total of 1. 48 million person-years, constituted the cohort of this Swedish population-bas

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is caused by a germline mutation in one of several DNA repair genes, which in the tumors is reflected as microsatellite instability (MSI). MSI+ tumors have been found to carry somatic frameshift mutations in mononucleotide repeats within the coding regions of several genes involved in growth control, apoptosis, and DNA repair, e.g., TGFBRII, BAX, I

BACKGROUND: : Inherited mutations in the CDKN2A tumor suppressor gene, which encodes the p16(INK4a) protein, and in the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) gene confer susceptibility to cutaneous malignant melanoma. We analyzed families with two or more cases of melanoma for germline mutations in CDKN2A and CDK4 to elucidate the contribution of these gene defects to familial malignant melanoma and to

In a new population-based, matched, case-control study from southern Sweden of 571 patients with a first diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma, between 1995 and 1997, and 913 healthy controls aged 16 to 80 years, the association between sunscreen use and malignant melanoma was evaluated. The median sun protection factor (SPF) used by both cases and controls was 6, range 2 to 25. Sunscreen user

In a population-based, matched, case-control study from southern Sweden of 571 patients with a first diagnosis of cutaneous malignant melanoma and 913 healthy controls aged 16-80 years, the association between sunbed use and malignant melanoma was evaluated. A total of 250 (44%) cases and 372 (41%) controls reported ever having used sunbeds. A significantly elevated odds ratio for developing malig

Approximately 5-10% of prostate cancer cases are caused by dominantly inherited susceptibility to the disease. Although advances have been made in research concerning the genetic mechanisms of hereditary prostate cancer, little is known about the psychological consequences for men at high risk of developing the disease. The aims of the present study were to examine risk perception, interest in gen