Gene linked to childhood cancer
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Massachusetts scientists have identified a gene linked to the most common type of kidney cancer in children, and expressed hope this might help doctors determine which patients are most at risk of dying.
In a report Friday in the journal Science, the team said about 30% of Wilms tumor cases involve mutations in a gene called WTX on the sex-determining X chromosome. About 90% of childhood kidney cancer cases are Wilms tumor, which occurs in one in 10,000 children worldwide.
