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SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Scientists have traced a genetic mutation linked to colon cancer to an English couple who arrived in the North American colonies in about 1630.
At least two families, one in New York and the other in Utah, inherited the mutation, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Deborah Neklason of the University of Utah said the genetic fingerprint has been found in 13 other families that have not yet been linked genealogically to the English couple.
"The fact that this mutation can be traced so far back in time suggests that it could be carried by many more families in the United States than is currently known," Neklason said. "In fact, this founder mutation might be related to many colon cancer cases in the United States."
The Utah family has an estimated 7,000 living members who might carry the mutation. The family accounted for 15 percent of all cases of colorectal cancer in the state between 1965 and 1995.
The research team headed by Neklason published its findings in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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