Blood Test Identifies Predisposition to Head and Neck Cancer

A simple blood test may be able to identify those most at risk for developing head and neck cancer as a result of smoking.

In a study that was reported in the January 2007 issue of the journal Cancer Research, scientists asked whether a reduced individual ability (non-inherited) to repair DNA damage increases chances of getting head and neck cancer. Smoking damages DNA and is known to be a major cause of this disease, which can affect the throat, mouth, and larynx. The scientists focused on a DNA repair enzyme called OGG1, for which they had previously developed a blood test to measure activity levels.

By comparing OGG activity in healthy people with those in head and neck cancer patients, the team found that the test was able to single out those with a heightened risk of this type of cancer: weak levels were correlated with greater risk. According to Prof. Livneh, head of the Weizmann Institute's (Rehovot, Israel) biologic chemistry department, and colleagues, a smoker with low OGG activity is 70 times more likely to develop head and neck cancer than a non-smoker with normal OGG levels.

The 8-oxoguanine DNA N-glycosylase (OGG) blood test might be used, in the future, to identify those most at risk for lung and head and neck cancers, thus giving added incentive to those with the risk factor to quit smoking. In addition, drugs might be developed to reduce this risk, similar to those prescribed today to reduce the risk of heart disease.

These findings join a previous study by the group in which they found that low OGG activity is an indicator of elevated risk for lung cancer, a disease also caused by smoking. Together, these studies show that a combination of low OGG activity and smoking can greatly increase a person's chances of becoming ill with a smoking-related cancer.



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Weizmann Institute