Have you had a head injury? The risk of cancer is increased

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Researchers from the Cancer Institute have understood the mechanism by which trauma can contribute to the development of a relatively rare but often aggressive form of brain tumor called glioma.

“Our study shows that brain trauma can contribute to an increased risk of developing brain cancer in later life,” the scientists explained. During the experiment, young adult mice with traumatic brain injury were injected with a substance that permanently stained brain cells, astrocytes, red and turned off the function of a gene called p53. The control group was treated in the same way, but the p53 gene was left intact.

It turned out that after the injury, astrocytes changed shape. Scientists suggested that mutations in certain genes are associated with inflammation of the brain caused by acute trauma. This increases the risk of cancer.

The scientists then began to look for evidence to support their hypothesis in humans. They reviewed the electronic medical records of more than 20,000 people who had been diagnosed with head injuries, comparing the incidence of brain cancer with the control group. It turned out that patients who had suffered a head injury were almost four times more likely to develop brain cancer in later life than those who had not had injuries.