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.