Section of Cancer Genetics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK.
Testicular germ-cell tumour (TGCT) is the most common cancer in young men, and genetic epidemiological studies suggest that the disease has a strong genetic basis. Until 2009, very little of this genetic component had been explained. Genome-wide association studies have since identified eight SNPs at six loci which together account for approximately 15% of the genetic risk of TGCT and offer novel biological insights into testicular germ-cell oncogenesis. In this review, we summarize the genetic epidemiology of TGCT, detail the contribution genome-wide association studies have made to our understanding of the genetic basis of TGCT and reflect on how future technological advances may assist in revealing the remaining genetic factors underlying TGCT susceptibility.
Written by:
Turnbull C, Rahman N. Are you the author?
Reference: Int J Androl. 2011 May 30. Epub ahead of print.
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2011.01162.x
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 21623831
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