DNA test for assessing risk of prostate cancer20 February 2008 deCODE genetics (NASDAQ:DCGN) has launched a test that can identify genetic markers associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. deCODE PrCa is a reference laboratory test for common, single-letter variations in the human genome (SNPs) that the company has associated with increased risk of prostate cancer. The test is a result of the genome-wide analysis of over 300,000 SNPs in 23,000 Icelanders in deCODE's prostate cancer studies, a finding subsequently replicated in a total of over 15,500 individuals from seven different cohorts from Europe and the United States. deCODE believes the test will be useful for better predicting risk of prostate cancer, helping to optimize both screening and treatment. deCODE PrCa detects a total of six previously discovered SNPs that have been confirmed in many populations, as well as two SNPs on chromosomes X and 2. One of the SNPs is located on the X chromosome and the other SNP is located on chromosome 2p15 and is associated with a more aggressive form of prostate cancer. The results have been published in the online edition of Nature Genetics [1], Although most of the variants individually confer moderate risk, they are common and some are linked to more than less aggressive disease. Consequently, a substantial proportion of men have many risk variants that together confer clinically significant risk. Because of these variants, 10% of men are at twice the risk and 1% of men are at three times the risk of the disease in the general population. "Through deCODE PrCa, we are
bringing together in one tool all of the major genetic risk factors for
prostate cancer that we have discovered over the past eighteen months. We
believe that this is a test with significant clinical utility for improving
and personalizing the screening and treatment of one of the most common
cancers. At the same time, we will integrate today's discovery into the
prostate cancer module in our personal genome analysis service deCODEme,
enabling our subscribers to stay abreast of how the latest discoveries in
human genetics may relate to their genome," said Kari Stefansson, CEO of
deCODE. Reference 1. Common sequence variants on 2p15 and Xp11.22 confer susceptibility to prostate cancer. www.nature.com/ng/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/ng.89.html |
