Wellbeing of Women

Ponder

2002, University of Cambridge, Professor Bruce Ponder

Are there interactions between the genetic make-up of an individual and specific factors in the environment that determine risk of ovarian cancer, and can this knowledge be used in prevention?

Professor Bruce Ponder, University of Cambridge - £133,153 over 36 months

It is probable that there are interactions between a person's genes and their environment that determine the risk of ovarian cancer. So far, attention has focused on specific ovarian cancer genes which are quite rare. To widen the net, "susceptibility" genes (making a woman susceptible to, not causing, ovarian cancer) will be isolated and studied for their interaction with factors such as diet, raising the possibility of a new approach to prevention. Genes which influence the response to treatments could be used as pointers to clinical management.