One aspect that needs to be underlined is that our study indicates that combinations of polymorphisms in several different classes of genes need to be studied when looking at the processes of carcinogenesis or aging. The pathways we explored by looking at some candidate genes are probably very complex and involve several other gene families. Large samples of healthy centenarians are needed to study multiple pathways and several gene polymorphisms at once. In conclusion, it is likely that longevity is related to a very complex genetic trait as well as certain environmental exposures.

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