DNA Repair and Breast Cancer Risk.
Abstract
Investigations of potential gene-environment interactions may improve our understanding of the etiology of breast cancer, a disease where less than 40% of cases can be attributed to known risk factors. The objectives of this study are to examine the association between DNA repair proficiency and breast cancer risk, and the contribution of this factor to the familial clustering of breast cancer. We hypothesize that mechanisms leading to suboptimal repair of DNA damage are susceptibility factors predisposing women to breast cancer through increased sensitivity to carcinogenic damage from environmental exposures such as ionizing radiation. To evaluate this hypothesis a case-control study and a family study are being conducted. Women with a personal history of breast cancer (N=100) and women at increased breast cancer risk (N=100) will be compared to control women (N=100) with respect to their ability to repair ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage in lymphocytes. We will also evaluate the possible interaction between DNA repair proficiency and ionizing radiation exposure by stratifying the case-control data on exposure status and then assessing the relationship between breast cancer risk and DNA repair proficiency. Thirty to forty families (150 family members) will be recruited to participate in the family study. The family study is designed to assess the segregation of DNA repair proficiency in families of women with suboptimal DNA repair proficiency, and, in a preliminary way, the co-segregation of breast cancer and suboptimal DNA repair proficiency in these families.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA368534
Entities
People
- Kathy J. Helzlsouer
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University