How a long white line on your fingernail could mean you’re at a much higher risk for kidney CANCER

Faint lines on your fingernail could indicate a rare genetic condition that puts you at risk for kidney, skin and eye cancer, new research suggests.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have found that 88 percent of people with a rare genetic condition that can lead to cancer have abnormal nail markings, including a thin white line running the length of the nail.

The genetic condition, believed to occur in fewer than 100 American families, increases the risk of a rare form of eye cancer, as well as lung, skin and kidney cancer.

It’s called BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome and affects a gene that prevents the body’s cells from growing rapidly and developing into tumor-like masses.

Of the total number of people diagnosed with 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 came across this finding in a study of the gene, called BAP1, for mutations: 41 out of 47 people had an abnormal line on a nail, and further examination revealed that 39 of them had a benign tumor.

Of the total number of people in the study with confirmed tumor predisposition syndrome, 87.2 percent had tumors in their nail beds.

Alexandra Lebensohn, a National Cancer Institute researcher who helped conduct the study, said: ‘When asked about nail health during a baseline genetic assessment, one very astute patient reported noticing subtle changes in his nail .

‘His comment prompted us to systematically evaluate other participants for nail changes and uncover this new finding.’

The most noticeable finding was a small, thickened area of ​​skin under the nail, along with a white band running along the nail, consistent with onychopapilloma, a type of benign tumor.

The tumor is believed to affect the production and distribution of keratin, the type of protein that makes up the nail.

The white lines represent higher levels of keratinization, or areas where the nail has been lifted or deformed by the underlying tumor.

Thirty-nine of the 47 subjects were found to have onychopapilloma, most of them male and mostly on the thumb. Onychopapilloma is rare in the general population.

Dr. Edward Cowen, a dermatologist at the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, said, “We believe that the presence of nail changes suggestive of onychopapillomas on multiple nails should prompt consideration of a diagnosis of BAP1- tumor predisposition syndrome.’

Their research was published in JAMA Dermatology.

The most common type of cancer associated with the genetic syndrome was uveal melanoma, or cancer of the eye

About 36 percent of people with the genetic condition have uveal melanoma, a form of cancer that starts in melanin, which produces dark pigments in the middle layer of the eye wall. The uvea includes the iris.

It represents only about 5 percent of all melanoma cases in the US.

About a quarter of the people with the syndrome have mesothelioma, according to the NIH. Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer that develops in the thin layer of tissue that covers most internal organs, usually seen in the lining of the lungs.

And 10 percent of people with the condition were found to have kidney cancer.

The BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome is rare and still under investigation. All around 70 families in the US They are known to have the genetic mutation that puts them at greater risk of cancer.

Most BAP1-related cancers tend to be more aggressive and activated earlier in life.

In cases of malignant mesothelioma, the age of onset is in predisposed people 55 years, compared to 72 years for people without that predisposition.

At the same time, several studies have reported that patients with a BAP1 mutation have an overall survival rate that is seven times longer than those without a genetic predisposition.