This study has identified several variations in the DNA of chromosome 9, which are associated with risk of ovarian cancer. One particular variation called SNP rs3814113 was most strongly associated with risk of ovarian cancer, with the common variant associated with increased risk. As ovarian cancer has symptoms that can be difficult to interpret, cases are often diagnosed at quite an advanced cancer stage when the chances of recovery have become slim. The identification of common ovarian cancer susceptibility genes may offer the potential to identify which women face the greatest risk of the disease and provide them with earlier treatment. While this work is an important early step towards such a goal, genetic screening for ovarian cancer is still likely to be some way off. Where did the story come from? Honglin Song and several colleagues from around the world carried out this research, which was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature Genetics. The study received ...