Review
Copyright ©2011 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Dec 15, 2011; 3(12): 175-181
Published online Dec 15, 2011. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v3.i12.175
Predictive role of XRCC5/XRCC6 genotypes in digestive system cancers
Mei-Due Yang, Chia-Wen Tsai, Wen-Shin Chang, Yung-An Tsou, Cheng-Nan Wu, Da-Tian Bau
Mei-Due Yang, Chia-Wen Tsai, Wen-Shin Chang, Yung-An Tsou, Cheng-Nan Wu, Da-Tian Bau, Terry Fox Cancer Research Laboratory, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yuh-Der Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, China
Chia-Wen Tsai, Wen-Shin Chang, Da-Tian Bau, Graduate Institute of Basic Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, China
Cheng-Nan Wu, Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung 40601, Taiwan, China
Da-Tian Bau, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed to this manuscript.
Correspondence to: Da-Tian Bau, PhD, Professor, Terry Fox Cancer Research Laboratory, China Medical University Hospital, 2 Yuh-Der Road, Taichung 404402, Taiwan, China. datian@mail.cmuh.org.tw
Telephone: +86-42-2052121-1523 Fax: +86-42-2053366
Received: April 22, 2011
Revised: October 6, 2011
Accepted: October 14, 2011
Published online: December 15, 2011
Abstract

Cancers are a worldwide concern; oral, esophageal and gastrointestinal cancers represent important causes of cancer-related mortality and contribute to a significant burden of human health. The DNA repair systems are the genome caretakers, playing a critical role in the initiation and progression of cancers. However, the association between the genomic variations of DNA repair genes and cancer susceptibility is not well understood. This review focuses on the polymorphic genotypes of the non-homologous end-joining DNA repair system, highlighting the role of two genes of this pathway, XRCC5 and XRCC6, in the susceptibility to digestive system cancers and discussing their potential contributions to personalized medicine.

Keywords: XRCC5, XRCC6, Polymorphism, Oral cancer, Esophageal cancer, Gastrointestinal cancer, Colorectal cancer