Iron overload gene linked to colon cancer:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Genetic mutations that are associated with hereditary haemochromatosis (HFE), or iron overload, increase the risk of colon cancer by 40%, say US researchers. A 1,300-patient study found that the frequency of the mutations in individuals' HFE genes was much greater in patients with colon cancer, compared with cancer-free people. A test panel of markers for the mutations could help identify those patients who would benefit from intensified colorectal cancer screening, say the study authors, whose findings appear in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (January 15).