Despite the growing globalization and increasing cultural assimilation by people groups of all types, each specific culture has something unique to offer the world. The Latino culture in particular has left its mark on food, music, dance and language on every inhabited continent on Earth. While many people around the globe have gladly adopted some of these customs as their own, there are certain traits they cannot simply claim for themselves. One of these traits is a recently discovered genetic variant that is believed to protect Latinas from certain forms of cancer.
Previous studies focusing on the demographics of breast cancer have noticed that Latinas, especially those that possess blood lines that can be traced back to the indigenous peoples of the region, were noticeably less likely to develop the disease. Until now, these statistics had largely baffled scientists. The common denominator was finally discovered by researchers, which pointed to a difference in genetic makeup that warded off potential tumors in the breast tissue.
The discovery is still far from being ready for practical application in the medical community. While the end goal would be Latinas to receive genetic testing for the variant, such an examination doesn't look to be coming down the pipes any time in the near future.
Genetic testing surrounding breast cancer has been a hot topic of conversation lately. Angelina Jolie caused quite the stir not too long ago when she elected to have a double mastectomy after learning that her genes made her significantly more likely to develop breast cancer, the same disease that killed her mother. The disease hit close to home shortly after Jolie announced she had undergone the procedure, as the actress' aunt passed away only weeks after news of the mastectomy became public.
Genetic testing will continue to give patients and doctors new insight as to potential diseases that the person may experience during his lifetime. This should lead to a more effective practice of preventative medicine and greatly increase longevity of people around the world.
