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Previous research suggested that chromosome 19q harbors a gene that codes for the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. A recent study by NCI grantees at the Mayo Clinic confirmed this finding. Mayo Clinic scientists analyzed genome
scan data from men in 161 families with a history of prostate cancer. Along with strengthening the evidence about chromosome 19q, the study suggests that chromosome 4q may also be involved in tumor aggressiveness.
In another study, researchers at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center found a strong association between the presence of a certain allele - a mutational form of a gene - on chromosome 11 and a younger age at prostate cancer diagnosis. This allele, which is a form of the gene cyclin D1, is also linked with early-onset colorectal cancer and poorer prognosis for lung cancer. Cyclin D1 helps regulate the cell cycle and is over-expressed in a wide variety of cancers.
Finally, scientists at Wayne State University found that certain variations in the androgen receptor gene, as well as in genes that influence androgen metabolism, are associated with increased risk for prostate cancer, and for more aggressive prostate cancer.
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