Dana-Farber, 23andMe Find Gene That Raises Nonsmoker Lung Cancer Risk 62-Fold
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 17
Dana-Farber, 23andMe Find Gene That Raises Nonsmoker Lung Cancer Risk 62-Fold
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 17
Summary
A Science study identified the inherited EGFR T790M mutation as a major driver of lung cancer in people who never smoked, with carriers facing a 62-fold higher risk.
The mutation is rare—about 1 in 15,850 people—but researchers called it among the strongest cancer-risk variants known and unusual because it is tied only to lung cancer.
Using 23andMe data, the team traced the variant largely to U.S. residents, especially in Southern Appalachia, with Tennessee and Alabama standing out after a founder event 200 to 225 years ago.
For carriers, the finding could support earlier screening, treatment and possibly prevention, while giving researchers a new window into how lung cancer develops in nonsmokers.