British researchers have announced major discoveries about the genetic causes of endometrial cancer.
The discoveries more than double the number of genetic regions linked to increased risk of the disease – from five to nine.
Some of the genetic regions are already linked to cancer of the ovaries and prostate.
Researchers at Cambridge University and Oxford University worked with the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia, on the project, reported last night in Nature Genetics.
Working with researchers in several European countries and in China and the USA, they studied some 7,000 women with cancer comparing them with 37,000 women free of the disease.
The researchers say the genetic findings may point to existing drugs that could be used to treat some forms of the cancer.
Researcher Dr Deborah Thompson, from Cambridge, said: "Our findings help us to paint a clearer picture of the genetic causes of endometrial cancer in women, particularly where there no strong family history of cancer. Prior to this study, we only knew of four regions of the genome in which a common genetic variant increases a woman’s risk of endometrial cancer.
"In this study we have identified another five regions, bringing the total to nine.
"Although each individual variant only increases risk by around 10-15%, their real value will be in looking at the total number of such variants inherited by a woman, together with her other risk factors, in order to identify those women at higher risk of endometrial cancer so that they can be regularly checked and be alert to the early signs and symptoms of the disease."
Fellow researcher Professor Amanda Spurdle, from Brisbane, said: "As we develop a more comprehensive view of the genetic risk factors for endometrial cancer, we can start to work out which genes could potentially be targeted with new treatments down the track.
"In particular, we can start looking into whether there are drugs that are already approved and available for use that can be used to target those genes."
Cheng, THT et al. Five endometrial cancer risk loci identified through genome-wide association analysis. Nature Genetics 2 May 2016; DOI: 10.1038/ng.3562
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