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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Oct 15, 2003 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A gene that makes men more susceptible to the harmful effects of cancer-causing agents may give them a higher risk for prostate cancer.
The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer looked, at variations in a gene that controls the body's response to carcinogens in the environment as well as hormones natural to the body.
The Wake Forest University School of Medicine researchers found men with prostate cancer often had a different version of the gene than men who were not affected by the disease.
"Previous research suggests prostate cancer arises in certain individuals due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors," Jianfeng Xu,Ph.D.
"Our study suggests that the genetic make-up of some men leaves them more susceptible to potential carcinogens in the environment or hormones in the body that could trigger the disease."
Copyright 2003 by United Press International.
