Experts find cancer-preventing gene

Healthcare experts have discovered a gene which may be able to protect the body against cancer.

According to specialists based at the University of Dundee, when this gene is switched off, the chance of people developing bowel cancer tumours rises substantially.

The experts said that deleting a gene known as GTSP can increase the average number of tumours in the bowel by 50 times.

These growths are known as adenomas, which are benign, pre-cancerous tumours and develop in the same region of the bowel where the human cancer is found.

Commenting on the study, Dr Mark Matfield, scientific coordinator at the Association for International Cancer Research, told cancer cover holders that developing a drug to preserve the gene may be particularly effective in early-stage sufferers.

"There may well be a lot more value in this drug once they start trying it on patients with early cancers. That is being done at the moment, but we don't know the results yet. It may work much better on patients with early cancers. We should find that out over the next few years," he said.

The expert added that researchers are currently attempting to beat cancer in its early stages and although findings are few and far between, they are still positive.

He told cancer insurance customers: "We can certainly find things to reduce the risk of people getting cancer. However, cancer is a disease of the most basic process of life itself, so it seems extremely unlikely that we'll ever be able to prevent all cancers."

Posted by Stephen Tate

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