Scientists have identified two genes linked to Wilms’ tumour – a type of childhood kidney cancer.
The genes – MYCN and FBXW7 – provide an important insight into how the disease develops and could lead to new treatments for children with a more aggressive from of Wilms’ tumour.
Wilms’ tumour is the most common form of kidney cancer in children. Each year 80 children are diagnosed with the disease in the UK and around 90 per cent can be successfully treated.
The scientists found the genes by scanning chromosomes of Wilms’ tumour in almost 100 children with the disease. They found that children with an increased number of copies of the gene MYCN are more likely to have high risk forms of the disease.
News of the gene discovery was published in Clinical Cancer Research. Lead author Professor Kathy Pritchard-Jones, a Cancer Research UK-funded scientist at the Institute of Cancer Research, said: “Although treatment for children is successful, we now have a useful marker to help us identify those with the high risk form of the disease.”
This article first appeared in issue 11 of benhealth, the magazine for Benenden Healthcare members.
For further peace of mind
Don’t forget that Benenden Healthcare members suffering from cancer can apply for financial assistance to help them with costs relating to home help, travelling to and from hospital, extra heating, prescriptions and specialist equipment hire, and so forth. Membership of Benenden Healthcare costs just £1.50 per person, per week, and you can even join Benenden Healthcare online.
