They found a strong correlation between the mutation in the ELAC2 gene and prostate cancer. The study, published last month in the journal Nature Genetics , along with research on other gene-based biomarkers, provides the basis for the possible development of a commercial blood test that will help indicate a man's risk of prostate cancer. Researchers are hopeful that these findings mean that, in the future, men could be tested to see if they carry the ELAC2 gene for prostate cancer in much the same way that women can be tested for the BRCA1 gene for breast cancer. Experts caution that the results of the study may not apply to men of all ethnic groups, as the study took place in Utah, where most residents are of Northern European descent, and is a fairly genetically homogenous population. How this applies to other racial groups remains to be seen, they say.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancers, in American men.
The American Cancer Society estimates approximately 198,100 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year, and that 31,500 men will die of the disease. Consult your physician for more information. Contact Information Copyright 2001 Methodist Health Care System, Houston, Tx. All Rights Reserved. Please read our disclaimer and privacy policy .