Study of genetic variants in common cancers paves way for targeted screening

Scientists studying the genomes of people with and without three common cancers have identified more than 80 new genetic variants that distinguish the two groups. The scientists, who are based at Cambridge University, London’s Institute of Cancer Research, and elsewhere, believe that their findings will eventually allow screening programmes to be targeted at people most at risk of these cancers.

The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK. It compared DNA from more than 100 000 healthy people with that from another 100 000 people with cancer. A commentary on the work and its implications for public …