Recently, over 1,000 scientists from Europe and the United States participated in the Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment study, COGS, which led to an exciting new breakthrough in predicting who will develop cancer in their lifetimes. Together, these scientists were able to isolate fifty new genetic risks for cancer. DNA Testing of saliva will soon be used to determine if patients are likely to develop one of three cancers: breast, prostate, and ovarian.
The Nature of COGS
100,000 cancer patients and a like number of participants from the general population were studied. Researchers looked for variants determined by changes in a single nucleotide polymorphism, or SNP. Participants who had a large number of these variants were at a higher risk of developing one of the three cancers. Although people with these SNPs were not necessarily condemned to contract the disease, their likelihood was higher than those people who did not have a significant number of these variants. The technology for this test relies on microchips that are affordable and will be easily assessable for the average person, as the family doctor will be able to administer them.
Treatment Options
The medical community’s approach to cancer detection will be greatly affected by the advent of these saliva DNA tests. General practitioners will be able to administer them during routine office visits due to the tests simplicity. Patients with a significant number of variants can be monitored closely, so doctors can quickly diagnose the disease when it is still in a very early stage. Certain preventative actions can also be taken for some cancers. Overall, this breakthrough will result in better treatment and more effective prevention for ovarian, breast, and prostate cancers.
Future Effects
SNP identification and analysis promise to alter doctors’ approaches to cancer. Since these saliva tests allow cutting-edge diagnoses to be performed during routine exams in the local physician’s office, the convenience alone will ensure that the test reaches a large number of patients, allowing them to receive early intervention and treatment. Quick diagnosis leads to higher survival rates, as does comprehensive preventative care. Because the test will be administered by a physician with a personal relationship with the patients, more people are likely to take advantage of this life-saving procedure.
Recent advances in research have led the medical community ever closer to understanding the origin of cancer and the answers to eradicating it. Cancer patients are living longer, better lives due to the efforts of researchers worldwide. The Collaborative Oncological Gene-environment study is one of the most promising of these recent efforts. With this new test, the family practitioner will be at the center of a new wave of treatment and prevention efforts, which bodes well for the health and well-being of the average person.
Image Credit: Nina J. G.
