Rare Growth Disorder Offers Clues to Preventing Cancer

Researchers say people with Laron syndrome have unusually low rates of the disease.

Scientists studying a set of twins with Laron syndrome, a rare disorder that impairs growth, have found that people with the condition develop cancer far less often than the general population, according to the BBC.

The finding has drawn interest from researchers looking for new strategies to prevent cancer. A naturally occurring condition that appears to shield people from the disease could point toward biological mechanisms that might eventually be replicated through treatment, and the markedly lower cancer incidence observed in patients has fueled further study into what protects them and whether those insights could be applied more broadly.

— Compiled from reporting by the BBC.

Editor's note: This item is based on limited wire reporting. The available material does not yet include specifics about the twins' case beyond their diagnosis, and readers should treat the cancer-prevention implications as preliminary pending further reporting.