Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic link to cervical tumours

  • Scientific Correspondence
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Cervical cancer is strongly associated with infection by oncogenic types of human papilloma virus (HPV). But only a small fraction of those infected develop cancer, indicating that other factors contribute to the progression to cervical cancer. We have compared incidence of the disease in relatives of cases of cervical tumour and controls, and find a significant familial clustering among biological, but not adoptive, relatives. We find no difference in the risk to siblings who have a mother or father in common, so the clustering cannot be explained by vertical transmission of HPV from mother to child. These results provide epidemiological evidence of a genetic predisposition to cervical cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Relative risk of cervical tumour (and 95% exact confidence interval) for relatives of cases.

References

  1. Kaye, J. N. et al. J. Gen. Virol. 77, 1139–1143 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Heimdal, K. et al. Br. J. Cancer 73, 964–969 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ahlbom, A. et al. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 89, 287–293 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Carstensen, B., Soll-Johanning, H., Villadsen, E., Sondergaard, J. O. & Lynge, E. Int. J. Cancer 68, 428–435 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Isaacs, S. D., Kiemeney, L. A., Baffoe-Bonnie, A., Beaty, T. H. & Walsh, P. C. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 87, 991–996 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Goldgar, D. E., Easton, D. F., Cannon-Albright, L. A. & Skolnick, M. H. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 86, 1600–1608 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics and Pathology, Section for Medical Genetics, Box 589

    Patrik K. E. Magnusson & Ulf B. Gyllensten

  2. University of Uppsala, Uppsala, S-751 23, Sweden

    Patrik K. E. Magnusson & Ulf B. Gyllensten

  3. Department of Medical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute, Box 281, Stockholm, S-171 77, Sweden

    Pär Sparén

Authors
  1. Patrik K. E. Magnusson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pär Sparén
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ulf B. Gyllensten
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Magnusson, P., Sparén, P. & Gyllensten, U. Genetic link to cervical tumours. Nature 400, 29–30 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/21801

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/21801

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation