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 proposal 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 and women at increased breast cancer risk will be compared to control women for the presence of Lys/Lys 751 XPD genotype. We observed a strong association between presence of the LysLys 751 XPD genotype and higher number of chromatid aberrations. Thus, we plan to assess the XPD genotype, in place of the DNA repair proficiency cytogenetic assay which we originally planned to do. We will also evaluate the possible interaction between Lys/Lys 751 XPD genotype and ionizing radiation exposure, by stratifying the case-control data on exposure status, and assessing the relation between breast cancer risk and the genotype. The family study will be used to confirm the results of the case-control study.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA387719
Entities
People
- Kathy J. Helzlsouer
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University