The CancerWeb Report, What's New In Cancer: April, 1996
Cancer Genes

• FHIT gene - Chromosomes, like many other natural structures and human artifacts contain weak spots. In chromosomes these weak spots termed fragile sites, are prone to break or form gaps very easily, and this has caused a lot of speculation that some of them may be at the root of cancer. A group at the Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia, has recently reported on a gene called FHIT which is at one of the fragile sites and is missing in whole or in part from many colon and lung cancers. They have now also described it as missing from breast cancers at this month's Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Washington, DC. The role of FHIT is unknown, but it may code for an enzyme that breaks down the cell division stimulator diadenosine tetraphosphate.