CAMBRIDGE, England, April 20 (UPI) -- A genetic link has found between two different cancer types -- womb cancer and prostate cancer -- with the use of a genome scan, researchers in Britain said.
Lead author Professor Douglas Easton, director of cancer research at the genetic epidemiology unit at the University of Cambridge, says the finding provides "new insight into the underlying genes and mechanisms that lead to the development of both diseases."
The genome scan for womb cancer found three one-letter alterations in the genetic code -- single nucleotide polymorphisms -- where genes linked to womb cancer were most likely to be found at gene HNF1B on chromosome 17, Easton says.
In men, a gene within the same region -- HNF1B -- has previously been linked to lower prostate cancer risk, but higher risk of type-2 diabetes.
"This study is the first to highlight a potential link between womb cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, providing new insight into the underlying genes and mechanisms that lead to the development of both diseases," Easton says in a statement.
"Understanding how these influence a person's risk of developing cancer is a crucial step in being able to identify high-risk groups who may benefit from closer monitoring or measures to reduce their risk of developing the disease."
The findings are published in the journal Nature Genetics.
