Are Hereditary Cancers A Different Breed?
Viewed under the microscope, tumors associated with some of the most common inherited cancer-susceptibility genes appear aggressive. But researchers are finding that, for certain cancers, patients with heritable gene-associated disease die no earlier and, in some cases, live considerably longer after diagnosis than patients with non-heritable forms of the cancers. Puzzled by this apparent contradiction between pathology and prognosis, scientists are trying to understand the biological events that influence cancer progression. “By studying these events over the long haul,” said Henry T. Lynch, M.D., of Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., a leading researcher in the hereditary cancer field, scientists “might be able to use the information to elucidate causes . . . [Full Text of this Article] CiteULike Connotea Del.icio.us What’s this?
