Scientists have found common DNA variations that isolate signals of risk carriers for prostate cancer.
Some of the more common variations were found in African American men. Scientists believe this may be the link to why the rates of prostate cancer are higher for this racial group.
Researchers are hopeful that these new DNA discoveries will lead to faster treatment discoveries for prostate cancer sufferers.
Further hope is not only to find better treatments, but also to be able to diagnose the disease more quickly and possibly even prevent it from occurring, according to the director of the National Cancer Institute, a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
However, more research is needed to further the development of these latest findings.
The most common cancer among men, aside from skin cancer, is known to be prostate cancer. It is estimated that nearly 219,000 men in the U.S. alone will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the year 2007, with 27,000 plus deaths as a cause of it.
Two of the three studies were performed in the U.S., with the third study being conducted in Iceland. All three studies were published in the journal titled, "Nature Genetics."
