Contact: Jeremy Moore
Jeremy.moore@aacr.org 267-646-0557 American Association for Cancer Research PHILADELPHIA – Radiation from the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, likely rearranged chromosomes in some survivors
who later developed papillary thyroid cancer as adults, according to Japanese
researchers.
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The researchers looked at the genetic profile
of cancer patients in the RERF's follow-up study --50 patients who were
exposed to atomic bomb radiation and 21 patients who were not. Three factors
were found to be independently associated with the development of adult-onset
papillary thyroid cancer with RET/PTC rearrangements. They were greater
radiation dose, shorter time elapsed since radiation exposure, and younger
age at the time of the bombings, Hamatani says.
"Thatmeans that a younger person living close to the bombing site would be more likely to have adult onset thyroid cancer having RET/PTC rearrangements," he said. "This is the first time this has been shown." The findings also suggest that in childhood papillary thyroid cancer RET/PTC rearrangements may be much less clearly associated with radiation exposure, compared with adult-onset cancer, because RET/PTC rearrangements are frequent in childhood papillary thyroid cancer patients regardless of history of radiation exposure. There searchers do not know exactly how radiation is involved in the occurrence of RET/PTC rearrangements. "It could be either by direct DNA damage or by other pathways such as a result of radiation-induced genomic instability," Hamatani said. The mission of the American Association for Cancer Research is to prevent and cure cancer. Founded in 1907, AACR is the world's oldest and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research. The membership includes more than 28.000 basic, translational and clinical researchers; health care professionals; and cancer survivors and advocates in the United States and 80 other countries. AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise from the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer through high-quality scientific and educational programs. It funds innovative, meritorious research grants. The AACR Annual Meeting attracts more than 17.000 participants who share the latest discoveries and developments in the field. Special conferences throughout the year present novel data across a wide variety of topics in cancer research, treatment and patient care. AACR publishes five major peer-reviewed journals: Cancer Research; Clinical Cancer Research; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics; Molecular Cancer Research; and Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Its most recent publication and its sixth major journal, Cancer Prevention Research, is dedicated exclusively to cancer prevention, from preclinical research to clinical trials. The AACR also publishes CR, a magazine for cancer survivors and their families, patient advocates, physicians and scientists. CR provides a forum for sharing essential, evidence-based information and perspectives on progress in cancer research, survivorship and advocacy. |