A woman from Shetland has said that genetic testing through a population study helped detect her cancer at an early stage. Christine Glaser, from Lerwick, discovered she carried a harmful variant of the BRCA2 gene after taking part in the Viking Genes research project, which investigates inherited disease risk in people with ancestry from Scotland’s Northern Isles (see BioNews 1183 and 1242).
Following the result, Glaser opted for preventative surgery and was referred for a mammogram ahead of her routine screening schedule. The scan revealed stage two breast cancer in 2023, despite her having no symptoms. Because the cancer was detected early, her treatment was limited to surgery and did not require chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
The Viking Genes project, led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, has identified higher rates of certain inherited variants in Shetland and Orkney populations. In particular, a BRCA2 variant linked to increased risk of breast, ovarian and prostate cancers has been found to be relatively common in parts of Shetland, including the island of Whalsay.
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