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Gene mutation linked to hereditary prostate rancer

A 20-year quest to find a genetic cause for prostate cancer that runs in families among younger men, researchers have identified a rare, inherited mutation linked to a significantly higher risk of the disease.

A report on the discovery, published in the January 12, 2012 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the University of Michigan Health System. The research team found that men who inherit this mutation have a 10 to 20 times higher risk of developing prostate cancer.

Although it only accounts for a small number of overall prostate cancer cases, the researchers may have found an important clue about how this cancer develops and help to identify a subset of men who might benefit from additional or earlier screening.

Read more at John Hopkins Medicine

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