Cancer risk can be detected while still in the womb; new study

New Study Suggests Cancer Risk Can Be Identified in the Womb
A new study suggests that the risk of cancer can be determined while a baby is still in the womb. Cancer has long been considered a disease that is often detected only after it has significantly progressed. However, a recent study conducted by the Van Andel Institute in Michigan, USA, and published in the Nature Cancer journal, highlights the importance of developmental epigenetics.

Researchers identified two epigenetic conditions—patterns of gene programming—that influence cancer risk in genetically modified mice. These two epigenetic states were classified as:

A low-risk state, where cancer, if it develops, is more likely to be a liquid tumor such as leukemia or lymphoma.
A high-risk state, which is associated with a lifelong increased susceptibility to cancer, particularly solid tumors like lung or prostate cancer.
Most cancers develop after birth and are caused by mutations or genetic disorders. This study suggests that identifying cancer risk factors at an early stage, even before birth, could open new avenues for prevention and early intervention.