Three specific genes tied to lung cancer risk

Researchers reported this week that a trio of genes actually work together to become associated with about 20 percent of lung cancer cases. That's millions of lung cancer cases per year -- quite a large amount.

As the medical art of genomics marches on, scientists said that understanding the way these genes work could be a large leap in preventing tumors form forming.

The three-gene mutation is found in 20 percent of non-small lung cancer cases, which comprises about 80 percent of all lung cancer, according to lead researcher on the study, David Mu. Gene-based therapy sure looks to have the potential to treat (and prevent) many types of cancer in the near future, and this is another sign that advances are indeed happening.