Summary

Previous research suggests that brain tumors, benign or malignant, tend to run in families. A new study using the Utah Population Database is able to link family history with cases of brain tumor. This has revealed that people whose first and second degree relatives had a brain tumor may be at increased risk of developing brain cancer themselves.

Introduction

Many previous studies have pointed to a familial component in brain tumors, including glioma and astrocytoma, but the genetic factors underlying this link remain unknown. For example, around five percent of gliomas are hereditary and most of these arise from known conditions that predispose to cancer involving mutations in known genes like the tumor suppressor p53. But there may be other genetic factors involved which have yet to be discovered. There are around 20,500 new primary brain tumors diagnosed in the United States in 2005, of which half were gliomas.

The Utah Population Database offers researchers a unique tool for discovering new genes linked to brain tumor and brain cancer. It includes the genealogy of the Utah Pioneers and their descendants and has been linked to the Utah cancer registry from 1966. In this way, the relationship between family history and cancer can be explored in an informative way. Indeed, the database has already been used to uncovered in other conditions, such as valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease and intracranial aneurysm.

What was done

Researchers at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and the University of Utah looked at medical records of 1,401 people with brain tumors - either glioblastoma or astrocytoma (and including one person who had both). Each individual had at least three generations of family medical history available through the database. Glioblastoma is a type of astrocytoma which is both aggressive and highly lethal.

What was found

People whose first degree relatives had glioblastoma had twice the risk of developing the same type of brain cancer themselves. Those whose first degree relatives had astrocytoma ran four times the risk of developing one themselves. These risks were in comparison with those who did not have a family history of brain tumor.

What this study means

People with a family history of brain tumor should be aware they run an increased risk themselves and make their doctor aware of the fact. This study shows that population databases are a powerful resources for uncovering links between genetics and disease. Further research may help uncover some of the genes that are involved in glioblastoma and astrocytoma which may, in turn, leads to better diagnostics and treatments.