DNA repair proficiency: A potential susceptibility factor for breast cancer
- Johns Hopkins Univ. School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD (United States)
A family study and a case-control study were conducted to examine the association between sub-optimal repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA damage and the development of breast cancer. A familial cluster of breast cancer was investigated in which breast cancer occurred in 4 of 6 sisters, some of whom were exposed to ionizing radiation from repeated chest fluoroscopic examinations during adolescence and early adulthood. DNA repair proficiency was measured among available family members and correlated with their history of radiation exposure. DNA repair proficiency was also measured among 16 breast cancer cases, 5 women with a family history of breast cancer and 12 controls. The results of the family study suggest an association between poor DNA repair proficiency and increased sensitivity to the carcinogenic effects of early radiation exposure on breast tissue. The case-control study showed that a significantly higher percentage of women with breast cancer (63%) and women with a family history of breast cancer (80%) had poor repair of ionizing radiation induced DNA damage than control women (17%) (P-value=0.02). Sub-optimal repair of DNA damage may be a host susceptibility factor predisposing individuals to breast cancer through increased sensitivity to carcinogenic damage from environmental exposures such as ionizing radiation.
- OSTI ID:
- 133516
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-941009-; ISSN 0002-9297; TRN: 95:005313-0244
- Journal Information:
- American Journal of Human Genetics, Vol. 55, Issue Suppl.3; Conference: 44. annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Montreal (Canada), 18-22 Oct 1994; Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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