Medication Abortion in Canada: A Right-to-Health Perspective

The right to health under the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, to which Canada is a signatory, entitles women to available, accessible, and acceptable abortion care. Abortion care in Canada currently fails this standard. Medication abortion (the use of drugs to terminate a pregnancy) could improve abortion care in Canada, but its potential remains unrealized

Genetic variation in the NBS1, MRE11, RAD50 and BLM genes and susceptibility to non-Hodgkin lymphoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Translocations are hallmarks of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) genomes. Because lymphoid cell development processes require the creation and repair of double stranded breaks, it is not surprising that disruption of this type of DNA repair can cause cancer. The members of the <it>MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 </it>(MRN) complex and <it>BLM </it>have central roles in maintenance of DNA integrity. Severe mutations in any of these genes cause genetic disorders, some of which are characterized by increased risk of lymphoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We surveyed the genetic variation in these genes in constitutional DNA of NHL patients by means of gene re-sequencing, then conducted genetic association tests for susceptibility to NHL in a population-based collection of 797 NHL cases and 793 controls.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>114 SNPs were discovered in our sequenced samples, 61% of which were novel and not previously reported in dbSNP. Although four variants, two in <it>RAD50 </it>and two in <it>NBS1</it>, showed association results suggestive of an effect on NHL, they were not significant after correction for multiple tests.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest an influence of <it>RAD50 </it>and <it>NBS1 </it>on susceptibility to diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and marginal zone lymphoma. Larger association and functional studies could confirm such a role.</p