We’ve blogged before about the discovery of new prostate cancer genes. And indeed, gene-hunting is such an exciting and busy area of science that it’s likely to feature in the news more and more often. But what, you may wonder, is the point of these studies?
It’s common knowledge that a person’s risk of cancer is affected by the genes they inherit.. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that our genes also affect the way we react to things in our environment like tobacco or alcohol. The big idea is that knowing how these genes work together, and which particular genes a person carries, will allow doctors to personalise prevention advice, screening and treatment options.
This era of personalised medicine is still a while away but the first steps towards it could be taken very soon. Paul Pharoah, one of our scientists at the University of Cambridge, has suggested how our expanding knowledge of breast cancer genes could be used in practical ways to improve early diagnosis for women at high risk of the disease.
Posted by Ed Yong 
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