University of Iowa researchers have identified a new gene which causes a condition that often leads to colon and stomach cancer.The condition called juvenile polyposis, or J-P, is inherited from one’s parents. Polyps develop in the gastrointestinal tract and colon, which, if left untreated, can develop into cancer. Lead researcher Dr. James Howe says finding the J-P gene is an important step.He says it will enable family members who are at risk to be identified, screened and treated long before the polyps become a cancer risk. Also, family members who don’t have the gene can avoid going through the uncomfortable and expensive colon screenings. Dr. Howe, an associate professor of surgery at the U-of-I, says families with histories of J-P were studied in Iowa, Ohio, California and Quebec. Only about one in one-hundred-thousand people develops J-P. The findings are being published in the June issue of the journal “Nature Genetics.”
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