Identification of new genetic risk factors for prostate cancer

There is evidence that a substantial part of genetic predisposition to prostate cancer （PCa） may be due to lower penetrance genes which are found by genome-wide association studies. We have recently conducted such a study and seven new regions of the genome linked to PCa risk have been identified. Three of these loci contain candidate susceptibility genes： MSMB, LMTK2 and KLK2/3. The MSMB and KLK2/3 genes may be useful for PCa screening, and the LMTK2 gene might provide a potential therapeutic target. Together with results from other groups, there are now 23 germline genetic variants which have been reported. These results have the potential to be developed into a genetic test. However, we consider that marketing of tests to the public is premature, as PCa risk can not be evaluated fully at this stage and the appropriate screening protocols need to be developed. Follow-up validation studies, as well as studies to explore the psychological implications of genetic profile testing, will be vital prior to roll out into healthcare.

乳腺癌史妇女的妊娠——妊娠对生存期的影响及最佳受孕时间均无定论,因此个体化考虑是基点

如果年轻女性在生育之前被诊断患乳腺癌，她们会面临对未来生育的艰难抉择。有效的治疗手段往往会降低生育能力，而妊娠对生存率的影响尚无法确知。对于那些确实想妊娠的妇女，如何选择最佳受孕时机仍属未知。