A rare inherited gene variant was linked to a 25-fold increase in lung cancer risk, according to a study published Sept. 17 in Science.
Researchers at Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute analyzed genetic data from more than 3.3 million 23andMe research participants to quantify the lung cancer risk tied to the variant.
Here are three things to know:
- The variant — known as EGFR T790M — appeared in roughly 1 of every 15,850 people studied.
- The elevated risk was more pronounced among people who had never smoked than among smokers who carried the variant.
- Carrier rates were notably concentrated in the Southern Appalachian region, which researchers linked to a single shared ancestor from about 200 to 225 years ago.
Read the full study here.
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