New Gene for Ovarian Cancer – BNC2

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted August 5, 2009 in DNA and Disease

Infamous genes for breast and ovarian cancer, BRCA1 and BRCA2, now have a new companion – BNC2. A new study has found that BNC2 is more common than BRCA1 and BRCA2 but does not confer as high of a risk for ovarian cancer. (Wall Street Journal)

As reported in Nature Genetics, researchers performed a genome-wide association study and identified a new ovarian cancer susceptibility locus on chromosome 9p22.2 where the BNC2 gene is located. The gene may encode a transcription factor that plays a role in the differentiation of spermatozoa and oocytes.

In September 2007, I interviewed two women who’d experienced ovarian cancer – Sandi Pniauskas and Carolyn Benivegna. Sadly, Carolyn died a year later but Sandi carries on her work to bring awareness to ovarian cancer. She is urging people to sign the petition for an ovarian cancer awareness postage stamp in memory of Carolyn.

We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee approve an Ovarian Cancer Awareness Stamp. With early diagnosis and specialized care, survival rates increase dramatically. Every day counts…women/girls of all ages are dying needlessly from this terrible disease. Each year, more than 20,000 American women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and nearly 16,000 deaths occur in the U.S. from this dreaded disease. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of all gynecologic cancers, killing more women than all other gynecologic cancers combined. Every female is at risk (even those who have had their ovaries removed), and no age is spared (girls as young as one year old have been diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer).

For more information, see the National Cancer Institute’s page on ovarian cancer.

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