Five common genetic variants may put some women at an increased risk of developing breast cancer, a new study says.Scientists at Cambridge University have identified five genetic clues that seem to explain why some families have a history of breast cancer.

The study scanned the gene maps of about 28,000 patients, more than 4,000 of whom had a family history of breast cancer.The large-scale genome analysis found five new gene variants in women with a family history of breast cancer. One of the most common is a gene called CDK2NA, which regulates the process of cell division and is often altered in the DNA of tumours.

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The discovery takes the number of common genetic variations known to be linked to breast cancer to 18.

Women who have the genetic variants are 8% more likely to develop breast cancer in their lifetime, the study says.

"By finding more of these genes we may be able to develop a test that can predict more reliably a woman's risk of developing breast cancer," said study author Doug Easton.