Colon Cancer Risk Traced to Common Ancestor in 1630s

Blame it on your ancestors! Writing for the Reuters news service, Michael Kahn writes about a married couple who sailed to America from England around 1630. This one couple is now believed to be the reason why thousands of people in the United States are at higher risk of a hereditary form of colon cancer.

Using a genetic fingerprint, a U.S. team traced back a so-called founder genetic mutation to the couple found among two large families currently living in Utah and New York.

Cancer researchers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Utah did not name the families but said thousands of people across the country may have the mutation that spread widely as the couple's descendants branched apart over many generations.

"The fact that this mutation can be traced so far back in time suggests it could be carried by many more families in the United States than is currently known," said Deb Neklason, who led the study. "In fact, this founder mutation might be related to many colon cancer cases in the United States."

You can read more about this fascinating story at http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSL2856779820080102.

Comments

[NotAProphet]

Mormon family? Utah? That's what polygamy and interbreeding will get you .....

[Dave McDonald]

Any chance someone knows which early New England family this might be? Given their 1630 arrival, if true, I should think the family is among those included in _The Great Migration._ Of course, there's the possibility that the 1630 date is family lore and has not been properly researched or documented, too.

[Harold Henderson]

According to the Reuters article, the cancer researchers relied on "a wealth of genealogical information taken from detailed church records over the years that is now part of a large genetics database in Utah." I sure hope these cancer experts aren't relying entirely on unsourced IGI or Ancestral File postings! At any rate, the full descendancy of such a couple is most unlikely to be limited to the described "large families currently living in Utah and New York."

[Dick Eastman]

I don't believe it said "New England."

- Dick Eastman

[Dave McDonald]

True enough, Dick. Given the "New York" and "Utah" appelations in the article, I presumed it would be New England to which they came. I suppose it might be that they went to New Netherlands that early, though I wouldn't think it likely. With the New York modifier, I make the presumption that the family is not Virginian in origin, though again I could be wrong.

In the end, I'd still be curious to know the family. As you mentioned some weeks back with your French-Canadian ancestry, the identification of the originating couple would be of use to many--and would not violate privacy provisions based on such long-ago kinship. I hope the pair will be revealed in time.

[Cheryl]

The name is out: http://www.deserttelevision.com/Global/story.asp?S=7566420 Mr. and Mrs. George Fry. Now for more research!

[PN]

http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=611329
-- Mr. and Mrs. George Fry sailed from the Old World to the New World around 1630 on a ship most likely named the William & Mary.

Along with at least two of their four children, they most certainly brought with them a unique genetic mutation for colon cancer, a new study shows.

This "founder mutation," which increases the risk for colon cancer, has now been passed on to a considerable number of the descendants of the original couple, the University of Utah researchers added.

The mutation has not been found in England, said study author Deb Neklason, meaning that it likely originated with either Mr. or Mrs. Fry. Her report is published in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
[snip]
[see article]

[Brian]

excuse me Notaprophet..

There was 200 years between the arrival of the found mutation and the start of polygamy in the early 1800's. Plenty of time for the gene to spread. The reason it is it correlated to Utah is due the wealth of records for families there. I am sure other populations exist more parts of the country but the records are either not available or haven't been submitted.
Something about looking for your car keys under a street lamp at night comes to mind.

[Ann Turner]

I agree with Brian's comments -- many of Utah's families not only have very good genealogical records, they have volunteered to participate in a number of medical studies.

In a situation like this, descendancy from Mr. and Mrs. George Fry is much less important than *recent* family medical history. There's only a 50% chance of passing on the deleterious mutation with each birth, so after many generations only a small fraction of their descendants today will carry the mutation. However, if there is a family history of colon cancer, AND you know that you descend from the Fry family, it might be worth screening family members for that particular mutation.

[Lynne]

Notepad - I think the number of descendants in Utah would have more to do with religious beliefs of not using birth control or allowing abortion than it would with polygamous practices. After all, you could have many wives, but no children. Your venom slipped thru a little on your comment.

[Susan B.]

Dear Notaprophet - for interbreeding, you need to go way back to Biblical times when folks married cousins, aunts, uncles and (in some cases of royalty), siblings. And where do you get the idea that having more than one wife equals interbreeding? If you have two wives, do you automatically assume your children would intermarry? That's not how it worked - you may want to brush up on your facts so you come more intelligent and less bigoted.

On to more important things - my Utah (but not polygamist)family was involved in a cancer gene study with the University of Utah a few years ago. The University sought us out wherever we lived, and then sent us instructions and supplies for blood withdrawal. We reported to local labs, had the blood withdrawn, placed it in special containers to keep it chilled, and shipped it back to the University via pre-paid Fed Ex boxes they had prepared. They go to a lot of time and expense, and are very serious about the genetic studies. They've made breakthroughs in the fields of science and health, and it's fascinating how it fits into genealogy. I hope they keep up the good work.

[Joyce]

I am not a mormon, nor from Utah, nor a Fry to my knowledge, but this is rediculous. A little,logical, rational, and analytical thinking,please.

[Jeremy P.]

It's not just the Fry family from England. An even more dangerous founder mutation -- MSH2 -- has been identified from an unknown German couple who emigrated to Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. See: http://health.usnews.com/usnews/health/healthday/080102/colon-cancer-gene-traced-to-arrival-in-united-
states.htm. "[The MSH2 mutation] causes regular and other cancers typical of the Lynch syndrome,
and the risk is very high, whereas the APC one causes a mild form of polyposis, which does have
a relatively high cancer risk," THE APC mutation came from the Frys.

[Ann Turner]

I've sometimes wondered if the MSH2 Pennsylvania founder could be recognized from the description of family structure and migration routes in the article from JAMA:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/291/6/718

[Edward Smith]

So far, there have been an English family and a German family identified. Did these cancerous mutations start with them, or are they only the earliest migrating couples found? What about their parents and siblings? Have they been traced? I would expect that there are many more families that have not been identified and traced. I know of one person who developed colon cancer (do not know if it was genetic-related), whose family is from Hungary and eastern Europe, no English or German relationship. Since many "Germans" migrated from Austria for religious reasons in the 17th and 18th centuries, perhaps this mutation can be traced to Austria.

[MHunter]

Wow.

I have Frys in my earlier lineage from England. They came over on the William and Mary, along with other ancestors. I have some major thinking to do.

Wow.

[sue maxwell]

Mormons are not prohibited from practicing birth controll. We are encouraged to have as many children as we can handle. Many have large families and many have medium or small ones; being a convert, I find large families much more stable and interesting and fun to be around. I have one brother, and wish I had had a bunch of siblings, as I had no children of my own. We have the highest health statistics, the longest lives, and the healtiest living styles. Out here people die in the 90's most requently, and in the East, where I came from, 70 was the average. I have several neighbors still going strong at 97.

This is not the only family that has come to this country and spread disease- there are many such cases. But I think that the health information given on this is very helpful. I recently read a book called Hannah's Heirs that talks about a family that passed on a genetic disease of early Alzheimers. Every nationalality has predispositions to certain health problems. Sue

[Victor Carnes]

Hereditary genetics is a very interesting, very complicated and very difficult subject to truly understand, particularly when doing reseach of family history. I am a colon cancer survivor of 19 years and I suspect my grandfather on my mother's side died of cancer which may have germinated in the colon but can't be sure. Unfortunately, medical science 100 years or so ago wasn't what it is today and autopsies were seldom done. I have captured and recorded medical history where it was available for my family and it is scarce. I have traced my mother's family back to the immigrant ancestor and I couldn't say who did or did not have a cancer much less a mutated one..sure would be a great piece of family information though.

[Michael]

One branch of my wife's family has an intersting, albeit it disturbing, proclivity to insanity, especially in the women. We have traced it back to at least her great-great-great grandmother. It is not evident in every female in the past generations but at least one female of each generation seem to be affected. Two of her great-aunts and her great-grandmother went insane at a fairly early age (30s-40s). Her grandmother went semi-insane in her 40s. And, her sister is now suffering from this.

Now, before any of you laugh at this, let it be known that my wife has shown no signs that she has inherited this family trait. We are watching and waiting to see about our daughter and granddaughter.

I have often thought that this family would be a fascinating study for a geneticist or forensic pychologist and have mentioned this discreetly to some family members, but, unfortunately, they do not think they are insane.

[sue maxwell]

Perhaps it is not insanity but a lack of certain amino acids in the brain. I have alot of alcoholics in my background, and was a nervous wreck for years, for no reason, until I found out that descendants of alcoholic lack certain amino acids. Once I started taking a good formula of them, the problem stopped. The neurotransmitters in the brain are made up of amino acids. My brother didn't pick up the same genetic problems that I did. Sue

[sue maxwell]

I also wanted to mention, that according to Dr. Chris Reading, an orthomolecular psychiatrist practicing in Sydney, he advises the avoidance of gluten containing products as they can cause problems like schizophrenia. Gluten intolerance is more common than people realize and can take many forms, such as celiac disease, thyroid problems, damage to the small intestines, etc etc etc. For the person who wrote about mental illness in the family, it would be well to find out, also, if there is gluten intolerance in your family. So many products have wheat, which has the highest proportion of gluten and is very difficult to avoid; the statistics indicate that 1 in 100 people in this country probably have this problems, which can be obvious or not obvious. The symptoms can be mild or very dangerous and life threatening. For information on this:

http://www.nzine.co.nz/views/gluten.html

Sue/ hoping she will see this

[Bob Anderson]

For what it's worth, and with no impact on the genetic story, and without any illusions that the news stories will be corrected, George Fry came from Combe St. Nicholas, Somerset, to Weymouth, Massachusetts, in 1640 [Suffolk Deeds 8:392]. The name of the ship on which he sailed is not known.

Bob Anderson

[natural colon cleanse]

A married couple who sailed from England to America around 1630 may be the ancestors of hundreds of people alive today who are at risk for a hereditary form of colon cancer.

Researchers from Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at The University of Utah have discovered a founder mutation—a mutation that has been traced from many individuals in the present-day population back to a common ancestor—which may contribute to a significant percentage of colon cancer cases in the United States.

An article reporting the finding was published today in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer death in the United States. It will affect 153,000 Americans in 2008, according to the American Cancer Society, and will kill 52,000.

Family history, smoking and diet are all linked with colorectal cancer but experts are still struggling to identify the causes that underlie most cases.

An estimated less than 1 percent of these cases are due to this particular genetic mutation, according to the study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

The U.S. team first focused on the Utah branch of the family -- numbering about 5,000 people today -- 14 years ago because its members had an unusually high risk of colon cancer.

"This study highlights that you need to pay attention to your family history," Neklason said. "With intervention to remove the polyps, the risk goes to near nothing."