Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Nadeem Badshah

One in a hundred people with Orkney heritage have gene increasing risk of cancer

The gene mutation present in one in a hundred people of Orkney heritage increases their risk of breast and ovarian cancer
The gene mutation present in one in a hundred people of Orkney heritage increases their risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Photograph: Iliescu Catalin/Alamy

One in a hundred people with Orkney heritage have a gene mutation that increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, according to a study.

Researchers spotted the gene variant repeatedly in women from the archipelago off the north-eastern coast of Scotland who had the cancers, and clinical genealogy showed that patients with the variant had family roots tracing back to the island of Westray.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.