Exploring the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and cancer in the Bangladeshi population

Since the completion of the Human Genome Project two decades ago, genetic polymorphisms in human DNA have gained significant attention for their role in diseases, particularly cancer. Cancer susceptibility studies have examined Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) across various genes, but populations such as Bangladeshis have remained underrepresented in this field of research. This review consolidates all 54 studies on cancer-related genetic polymorphisms in the Bangladeshi population, focusing on genetic factors involved in cancer progression, and 5 more studies on treatment toxicity association. A comprehensive search of online literature databases was conducted to identify studies specifically conducted on Bangladeshis, and these studies are organized by cancer type. Various genotyping techniques, including PCR-RFLP, T-ARMS-PCR, TaqMan Assay, and Sanger sequencing, were employed to detect genetic associations, all of which are discussed. Genes most frequently studied include TP53, XRCC1, CDH1, IL17A, and RAD51, with the TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism being the most investigated SNP. The review also identifies cancers such as blood, esophageal, bladder, hepatocellular and liver cancer as understudied. Importantly, SNPs in genes such as MTHFR and GSTP1 were found to influence chemotherapy-related toxicities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of cancer polymorphism studies conducted on this population, highlights the current scope of research, and identifies opportunities for further exploration. It emphasizes the potential for discovering unique Bangladeshi polymorphisms, which could lead to more tailored cancer diagnosis and treatment approaches. J. Bangladesh Acad. Sci. 49(1); 1-20: June 2025