Cancer Risk Starts Before Birth-Study
A new study, undertaken by scientists at the Van Andel Institute, has revealed that cancer risk starts before birth. Published in Nature Cancer, the research found two different epigenetic states during development linked to cancer risk. One state leads to a lower lifetime risk, while the other results in a higher risk.
If cancer arises from the lower risk state, it tends to be a liquid tumor, like leukemia or lymphoma. In contrast, cancer from the higher risk state is usually a solid tumor, such as lung or prostate cancer.
The department chair at VAI, Dr J. Andrew Pospisilik, explained that most cancers are seen as diseases caused by genetic mutations, so little attention has been paid to how early development may influence cancer risk. This study changes that perspective. The discovery of these two differing epigenetic states opens new areas of research into cancer.
While cancer risk increases with age due to DNA damage and other factors, not every abnormal cell becomes cancer. Recent studies have shown that epigenetic mistakes also play a role in the disease. Epigenetics refers to how DNA instructions are activated or deactivated. Issues with these processes can allow unhealthy cells to survive and multiply.
