Submitted by Armen Hareyan on Feb 8th, 2007
A team from Sheffield Children's Hospital is undertaking some pioneering research to explore if DNA testing can identify children at risk of developing a rare form of cancer.
Children, as well as adults, can suffer from 'reflux' - a continuous backward flow of acid stomach contents that damages the tissue of the oesophagus giving symptoms of heartburn. Some of these patients can then develop a condition called Barrett's oesophagus which can also mean that they have an increased risk of getting cancer of the oesophagus.
The study, made possible by a 1,880 donation from the Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity, is the first ever to look into the relationship between children with Barrett's oesophagus and changes in the cell's DNA that make them more prone to developing cancer later in life.
As Dr Marta Cohen, consultant paediatric hispathologist at Sheffield Children's Hospital who is leading the research explains in adults with Barrett's oesophagus, DNA alterations have been identified in patients prone to develop cancer in the future.
She said: "As this has long been demonstrated in adult patients, we wanted to take this further and find out if the same alterations can be found in the DNA of children with Barrett's oesophagus.
"Our latest results have shown us that these abnormalities were not present in the paediatric population we studied. This could be for a couple of reasons which we are currently looking into. Firstly, as both Barrett's oesophagus and cancer of the oesophagus are so rare we have been working with a small and infrequent sample which could affect the results.
"Secondly, and most likely, is that when Barrett's oesophagus is diagnosed during adulthood the condition is likely to have been affecting the patient for much longer meaning that the DNA has changed over time. In children, as their condition is at an earlier stage and they haven't had it as long, their DNA possibly remains unaffected until they are older.
"We are approximately half way through our research now " we have already made a breakthrough on the DNA alterations at paediatric age but want to continue the research and see if we can find out a reliable marker of those patients at risk. We are seeing more children with Barrett's oesophagus which could be due to the rising obesity rates and change in diet so there is a higher tendency for young people to suffer from reflux. The work we are doing could be vital in the future to help us help these children."
Source:
NHS Sheffield 