Scientists from De CODE Genetics Incorporated have identified another set of genes that are linked to breast cancer and the company plans to develop a test in the next six months that can detect the presence of these and other genes already known to cause the disease.

The newly discovered set of genes, located on chromosome 5, will join gene sets on chromosomes 2, 16 and 10 in a test that would screen women’s DNA for their susceptibility to breast cancer. According to De CODE, these four sets of genes together may account for as much as 52 percent of the most common breast cancers, which respond to the female hormone estrogen. About 70 percent of breast cancers are considered tumors whose growth is fueled by estrogen.

De CODE studied genomic data from 40,000 people and the results were published in a recent edition of the journal Nature.

Researchers say these findings help add important pieces to the breast cancer puzzle but caution they are too new to know the practical impact at this time. Scientists look forward to future studies that will help determine both individual and public health relevance.

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be more than 180,000 cases of invasive breast cancer and 40,000 deaths from the disease in the U.S. this year.