Melbourne: Australian scientists have identified two new genetic "markers" that can help creating a test for 'combination of genes' which together could more clearly reveal the risk of breast cancer in women.
The "low risk" genes found in a research study conducted by Cancer Research of UK in collaboration with University of Melbourne, has further raised the areas of the human genome known for the cancer risk to 13.
During the study, the areas of genes were tested in 80,000 women - half with the cancer and half without - from 16 countries including Australia.
It takes the number of known breast cancer-related genetic regions to 13, and the work also puts science a step closer for finding the cause of the killer disease, an AAP report said here on Monday.
"Once researchers have an understanding of where to look, they can better focus on the genetic causes of breast cancer," Melbourne university's Director of Population Health John Hopper said.
While the primary cause of breast cancer remains elusive, Hopper said these genetic regions were "like markers on the road telling us that there is something nearby that could be important".