Researchers advance treatment approach for rare genetic disorder

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – New research is allowing for better treatment of children born with a syndrome that increases their risk of developing cancer.

Dr. Guillermo De Angulo, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, said the study findings will help pinpoint which patients with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome need closer surveillance and screening based on their individual risk factors.

“What they’ve done is they went to the area of the problem, the gene that was actually affected, and then we call it genetic mapping where they were then able to go and look and see certain changes of the actual gene where they can actually then determine sub-genes that demonstrates if you have an increased risk or a decreased risk,” he said.

De Angulo said researchers analyzed data from over three thousand patients with L.F.S. to identify variants in the disease.

Secondhand smoke and RA

Researchers have found that children exposed to secondhand smoke were more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis as adults.

Scientists analyzed data from nearly 91,000 female nurses and found that women who grew up in a home where their parents smoked were 75% more like to be diagnosed with the disease.

Researchers did not find any link between smoking during pregnancy and R.A.

Over a million Americans are affected by R.A., an autoimmune disease that causes pain and swelling in the joints.


About the Authors
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Kristi Krueger has built a solid reputation as an award-winning medical reporter and effervescent anchor. She joined Local 10 in August 1993. After many years co-anchoring the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., Kristi now co-anchors the noon newscasts, giving her more time in the evening with her family.

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