Breast Cancer in the Family

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This Nowgen Schools Genomics Programme video explores how genomic research is helping scientists to understand the genetic and environmental factors affecting complex medical conditions, such as breast cancer.

Risk of breast cancer is approximately one in ten in northern European populations, making it the most common cancer in women.

Alison Griffies has a strong family history of breast cancer, but no known genetic change has been found in her family to explain this pattern.

Professor Gareth Evans, a leading expert in breast cancer, describes how genome-wide association studies scan genomes to look for genes that might be associated with the condition.

The data from these studies and other research has provided a better understanding of the causes of cancer. It is hoped that this knowledge will be used in future prevention programmes for breast cancer, and also to provide answers for families such as Alison's.

However, whole genome research projects, such as biobanks, raise ethical issues for society, which are discussed by Professor Michael Reiss from the Institute of Education.

This video was produced with Teachers TV as part of the Nowgen Schools Genomics Programme.

URL: http://stem.org.uk/rx32n

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