Genes' 'On/Off' Switches Yield Clues to Breast Cancer
'Epigenetics' research suggests ways to predict which tumors
will likely spread, study says By Amanda Gardner WEDNESDAY,
March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists may have developed a new
way of predicting when breast cancer will spread. Two varieties
of what scientists call "epigenetic signatures" seem to
distinguish more aggressive cancers from less aggressive ones,
according to a new study. Epigenetic alterations do not involve
changes to the sequencing of the genes themselves. Instead, they
involve alterations in the outer wrapping that holds genes
within the chromosome. This chromosomal casing helps determine
whether the genes will activate and at what intensity.
Environmental factors, including diet, stress, illness or
environmental pollutants can all influence epigenetics, experts
note. The findings could not only lead someday to a new
diagnostic screening tool to parse out more aggressive cancers
that might benefit from more aggressive treatment, but