IARC study identifies new genetic factors linked to HPV-related cancers

A new large-scale genetic study of head and neck cancers shows why some individuals infected with human papillomavirus (HPV) may go on to develop oropharyngeal cancer while others do not. The study, published today in Nature Genetics, identifies seven new genetic loci (locations of a gene on a chromosome): one that is linked to oropharyngeal cancer and six that are associated with oral cavity cancer, thus providing new insights into the development of these diseases.

Genome-wide association analyses identify new susceptibility loci for oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer
Lesseur C, Diergaarde B, Olshan AF, Wünsch-Filho V, Ness AR, Liu G, et al.
Nature Genetics. Published Online 17 October 2016; http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.3685

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