Pancreatic cancer has been added to the deCODEme Complete Scan. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly difficult form of cancer. It is virtually asymptomatic in its earliest stages. The cancer typically spreads rapidly and aggressively into surrounding tissue and organs, it is resistant to standard chemotherapy and has a strong tendency to recur. These characteristics make pancreatic cancer one of the most challenging cancers to treat unless caught early enough, and provide a grim prognosis for many diagnosed with the disease.

Currently there is no screening test available for this cancer, but genetic variants have been identified that are associated with increased risk of developing non-endocrine pancreatic cancer, the most common type of pancreatic cancer.  The deCODEme Complete Scan recently added non-endocrine pancreatic cancer to its genetic risk assessment profile.

Hypertension genetic risk now a part of the deCODEme Complete Scan

Hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure, has been added to the deCODEme Complete Scan. Hypertension is defined as blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg or above on three consecutive measurements at least six hours apart. Blood pressure this high is a risk factor for many diseases. Over time, the increased workload on the heart weakens it and contributes to atherosclerosis (the thickening of the arteries due to fat and cholesterol depositions), thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, which are among the leading causes of death in the United States. High blood pressure can also lead to other conditions, such as heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness. High blood pressure is especially dangerous because it often has no obvious warning signs or symptoms and can therefore remain undiagnosed and untreated long enough to cause damage. High blood pressure is common, but too often goes undetected. An estimated 1 billion people worldwide have hypertension, and this number is expected to increase to 1.56 billion people by the year 2025. This translates to about 1 in 4 adults being afflicted with hypertension worldwide. Currently, about 1 in 3 Americans are thought to have hypertension, and a third of them probably do not know it.

deCODEme provides personalized access to some of the first genetic variants recently linked to the most common type of brain cancer - Glioma

There are various types of brain cancer. Brain cancer can be primary, when it starts from cells in the brain, or secondary, when the cancer starts in another part of the body (for example in the lung or breast) and spreads to the brain through the bloodstream (that is through metastasis). Brain tumors can also be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (with cancer cells that multiply uncontrollably).

A glioma is a malignant primary brain cancer that originates from so-called glial cells found within the brain. There are several different types of gliomas determined by the type of glial cell that gives rise to the tumor. Although gliomas are rare, they are the most common type of primary malignant brain tumor in adults. They account for up to 80% of all brain cancer cases, with around 21,000 individuals diagnosed every year in the USA.

You may have heard about glioma in the news recently as this was the type of malignant brain cancer that recently claimed Senator Edward M. Kennedy‘s life at age 77. The causes of gliomas are largely unknown. However, scientists have long suspected that genes play a role, making some individuals more likely than others to develop brain cancer. Now some of these genes have been found. A study published in Nature Genetics in July, 2009, reports on the identification of the first common genetic variants known to contribute to an increased risk of developing this type of brain cancer. The deCODEme team has reviewed these findings and added them to the deCODEme Genetic Scan . On the basis of this newly published knowledge, we can now provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing a glioma-type brain cancer.

Charles Wallace and his wife believe that a deCODEme Complete Scan helped save Chuck's life when it lead to discovering Prostate Cancer. Click on the picture to see Chuck's story.

Dr. Bradley Bale at the the Heart Attack & Stroke Prevention Center is a big believer in deCODE’s tests for genetic risk factors for cardiovascular disease. As he has for many of his patients, Dr. Bale recommended that Charles Wallace, a 55 year-old Texan, have a full deCODEme scan to understand his risk of a range of conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. The breadth of the risk factors analyzed by deCODEme proved to be very important indeed. Mr. Wallace learned that he was at nearly double the average risk of prostate cancer, a piece of information he and Bale followed up on and that Wallace credits with helping to save his life.