How a long white line on your finger nail could mean you're at a much higher risk of kidney CANCER READ MORE: What could YOUR fingernails say about your health? By Cassidy Morrison Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 17:16 EDT, 21 May 2024 | Updated: 17:23 EDT, 21 May 2024 e-mail View comments Faint lines on your fingernail could indicate a rare genetic condition that puts you at risk of kidney, skin, and eye cancers, new research suggests. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have discovered that 88 percent of people with a rare genetic disorder that can lead to cancer have abnormal nail markings , including a thin white line running the length of the nail.
The genetic disorder, which is believed to run in fewer than 100 American families, increases the odds of a rare type of eye cancer , as well as lung, skin and kidney cancer. Called BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, it affects a gene that prevents the body's cells from growing at a rapid rate, and developing into tumorous masses. The majority of people in the study with abnormal nail markings such as the thin line running the length of the nail were found to have a benign tumor Of the total number of people found to a syndrome that predisposes them to cancer, 88 percent had tumors in their nail beds The gene also plays a crucial role in repairing DNA damage to cells, which protects against the growth and spread of cancer cells.
The researchers happened across the finding in a study looki.
