Folic acid supplements, smoking and genetics are among research targets
Jump to full article: HealthDay [HealthScout], 2009-04-20
Author: Amanda Gardner HealthDay Reporter
Intro: Scientists looking at everyday factors that influence cancer risk are finding important new clues that could affect cancer prevention strategies.
"Many of us believe that prevention is better than trying to identify drugs for people after they get cancer," said Dr. Peter Shields, deputy director of the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and interim chairman of the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. "As we understand risk factors better, it may be possible to personalize cancer prevention."
Shields moderated a Monday teleconference highlighting cancer prevention-related findings that are being presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, in Denver.
One study found that two common gene variants do not protect individuals from the ill effects of smoking.
In the study, smoking boosted the odds for the two most common types of colorectal polyps: adenomas and hyperplastic polyps, although the association was stronger in the latter.
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