Cancer and molecular biomarkers of phase 2

Associations between genotypes of phase 2 enzymes and cancer risk are extracted from epidemiological studies, namely case-control studies. Variant alleles in glutathione S-transferase (GST), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT), sulfotransferase (SULT), and N-acetyltransferase (NAT) have been used as molecular genetic biomarkers of risk. GSTM(my)1 has been associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, lung cancer, and bladder cancer and GSTP(pi)1 with prostate cancer. UGT1A1*28 and *37 are both associated with an increased risk of breast cancer as is SULT1A1*2. The presence of UGT1A1*28 results in an increased risk of ovarian cancer and NAT2 of colorectal and lung cancer. A high frequency of SULT1A1*1 has been identified in patients with breast cancer; the role in colorectal cancer is more controversial. This chapter discusses the balance between carcinogen activation and detoxification in relation to phase 2 enzymes.