Chapter 21. Additional polymorphisms and cancer

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate as many of the less-studied genes as possible in relation to their importance in cancer susceptibility. For example, within the cytochrome P450 superfamily there are genes whose protein product is solely responsible for the detoxification of specific carcinogens. For a number of these genes, although genetic polymorphisms have not been identified, defined phenotypic polymorphisms have been demonstrated in specific populations. Other examples are given in which functional metabolic polymorphisms have been elucidated yet pertinent experiments for the determination of cancer risk have not been performed. The status of work relating to the genes in question is summarized and areas demanding future study are highlighted.