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Published online 30 March 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.712

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Race-specific cancer mutation found

Genetic mutation raises risk of colon cancer in Caucasians but not in Japanese.

Michael Hopkin

Geneticists searching for genetic variants that raise the risk of colorectal cancer have found the first one to have an effect specific for a particular ethnic group. The mutation boosts the risk of colon cancer in Caucasians by 10%, but has no such effect in the Japanese population.

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  • If lots of genes involved in cancer are race-specific, the drug used in one country may not be efficient in another.

    • 01 Apr, 2008
    • Posted by: wang lei

  • Once we get the genome of each person sequenced, it will be much clear. However the different effects maybe result from the diet.

    • 03 Apr, 2008
    • Posted by: Jerrica Jan