deCODE discovers gene variants in thyroid cancer
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
deCODE genetics has added to its portfolio of cancer-associated genetic variants with the discovery of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that increase the risk of thyroid cancer. The variants, on chromosomes 9q22 and 14q13, contribute to around 57% of all cases of the disease and are linked with altered levels of thyroid hormones. Approximately 3.7% of people have two copies of the high-risk version of both SNPs, conferring a 5.7 times greater risk of developing thyroid cancer compared with non-carriers. Reykjavik, Iceland-based deCODE has incorporated the variants into its deCODEme genome test (available worldwide since November 2007) and deCODEme Cancer Scan, which it launched last month. The findings were published online in Nature Genetics on February 6.