Gene may give insight into lung cancer

Cancer biologist and research team head Marshall Anderson said the gene, dubbed RGS17, may serve as a warning sign for people at an enhanced risk for developing the potentially deadly disease, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Saturday.

"A proven genetic test could help us identify people at risk before the disease progresses," Anderson said of his group's discovery.

The genetics finding could significantly help young smokers who possess the gene as they would likely be at a higher risk of lung cancer if they continued smoking, Anderson added.

"This gene is clearly interactive with cigarette smoke exposure," he said. "In the families we've identified with the gene, we've impressed on them that if you don't smoke, the risk factor for developing lung cancer goes down by probably a factor of 10."

The Enquirer said the university study involved the study of more than 100 families from five unidentified U.S. locations. Each of the families was required to have had at least five family members from various generations who had lung cancer.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International.