Study makes discovery in male breast cancer

Researchers have for the first time identified three common variations in DNA (known as ‘SNPs’) that predispose men to developing breast cancer, bringing the total known number to five.

All three genetic variants are known to be linked to female breast cancer but scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Queen’s University Belfast found the changes to have a greater effect on breast cancer risk in men than in women.

It is hoped that this discovery could now enable scientists to identify the biological mechanisms that cause the disease to develop in men, and may ultimately lead to the development of new preventive drugs.

Lead author Dr Nick Orr from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “There has been much debate about whether breast cancers in women and men are distinct from one another.

“Our study has shown, for the first time, that the genetic factors influencing susceptibility to male breast cancer and the most common type of female breast cancer are much more alike than they are different.

“Our findings suggest that the underlying biology that affects how breast cancer develops and grows are probably similar in men and women.”