The role of gene–environment interaction in the aetiology of human cancer: examples from cancers of the large bowel, lung and breast

LA Mucci, S Wedren, RM Tamimi… - Journal of internal …, 2001 - Wiley Online Library
LA Mucci, S Wedren, RM Tamimi, D Trichopoulos, HO Adami
Journal of internal medicine, 2001Wiley Online Library
Mucci LA, Wedren S, Tamimi RM, Trichopoulos D, Adami H.‐O.(Harvard School of Public
Health, Boston, MA, USA; and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden) The role of gene–
environment interaction in the aetiology of human cancer: examples from cancers of the
large bowel, lung and breast. J Intern Med 2001; 249: 477–493. It has become increasingly
clear that cancer can be considered neither purely genetic nor purely environmental. A
relatively new area of cancer research has focused on the interaction between genes and …
Abstract. Mucci LA, Wedren S, Tamimi RM, Trichopoulos D, Adami H.‐O. (Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden) The role of gene–environment interaction in the aetiology of human cancer: examples from cancers of the large bowel, lung and breast. J Intern Med 2001; 249: 477–493.
It has become increasingly clear that cancer can be considered neither purely genetic nor purely environmental. A relatively new area of cancer research has focused on the interaction between genes and environment in the same causal mechanism. Primary candidates for gene‐environment interaction studies have been genes that encode enzymes involved in the metabolism of established cancer risk factors. There are common variant forms of these genes (polymorphisms), which may alter metabolism and increase or decrease exposure to carcinogens, thus impacting the risk of cancer. We present an overview of enzymes involved in carcinogen metabolism, present epidemiological tools to evaluate gene‐environment interactions, and provide examples from cancers of the breast, lung and large bowel.
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