Postcode and gene link discovered

In 2010, a study undertaken by Dundee University and NHS Tayside suggested a genetic explanation for why women from poor backgrounds are less likely to beat breast cancer.

Researchers found an association between a woman’s postcode and a particular mutation of a gene – p53 – which is linked with a poorer prognosis for breast cancer.

The p53 gene normally acts to suppress the development of tumours, but if it is mutated it increases the risk that a cell may become cancerous.

The report did not directly investigate the reasons for the higher level of p53 mutations in the more deprived group and researchers said further study was required.

Nonetheless, they suggested that socioeconomic deprivation was one of the key factors in development of the cancer and in “poorer outcomes”.

It is thought that factors associated with deprivation such as smoking, drinking and an unhealthy diet, could make the p53 mutation more likely.