Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Australia after prostate cancer. There are almost 3, cases diagnosed in Australia each year. The biggest single risk factor is age. More than eight out of 10 bowel cancers are diagnosed in the overs. The risk of getting this disease increases as you get older. It is estimated that about two out of three bowel cancers could be prevented with changes in diet and lifestyle. It can also mean that one or more relatives were diagnosed at an unusually young age, or a relative with two or more separate cancers.
People who have a strong family history of cancer may be offered a referral to a specialist genetics service. An estimate of the risk of cancer to the individual may be provided. If indicated, certain additional tests can be helpful in the risk assessment. In some situations, genetic testing may be appropriate and might be offered after careful discussion about its implications.
People assessed to have a higher than average risk of cancer will be referred to a specialist. They can talk to the person about having screening so as to detect signs of cancer as early as possible. This can ensure prompt treatment and optimal outcome.
The most commonly mutated gene in people with cancer is p53 or TP Most p53 gene mutations are acquired. Germline p53 mutations are rare, but patients who carry them are at a higher risk of developing many different types of cancer. These turn a healthy cell into a cancerous cell. Mutations in these genes are not known to be inherited.
HER2, a specialized protein that controls cancer growth and spread. It is found in some cancer cells. For example, breast and ovarian cancer cells. The RAS family of genes, which makes proteins involved in cell communication pathways, cell growth, and cell death.
DNA repair genes. These fix mistakes made when DNA is copied. Many of them function as tumor suppressor genes.
If a person has an error in a DNA repair gene, mistakes remain uncorrected. Then, the mistakes become mutations. These mutations may eventually lead to cancer, particularly mutations in tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes. Mutations in DNA repair genes may be inherited or acquired. Lynch syndrome is an example of the inherited kind. Researchers have learned a lot about how cancer genes work. But many cancers are not linked with a specific gene. Cancer likely involves multiple gene mutations.
Yale Medicine cancer genetics specialists work closely together to identify possible genetic causes of cancer as early as possible. Ongoing research at Yale Cancer Center helps inform physicians of the latest treatments used to intercept cancer, such as new drugs or surgical procedures. Skip to Main Content. Print Share Download. What are examples of inherited cancers? Women and men with BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations have a significantly higher risk of developing breast and other cancers than those without the mutations.
Mutations in specific mismatch repair genes that cause Lynch syndrome. If a parent carries a cancer susceptibility gene, each of their children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the gene, and thus the susceptibility to cancer.
Each child also has a 50 percent chance of inheriting the working copy of the gene, in which case their cancer risk would be no higher than that of the general population. It should be noted that some cancer susceptibility genes only have links to cancers that may not be seen in both sexes, such as ovarian and prostate cancers. Parents of the unaffected sex can still carry and pass on these genes. Hereditary cancers generally are not significantly different from non-hereditary cancers.
It is the way the cancers occur in the family that indicates whether they may be hereditary. Signs suggesting hereditary cancer include:. UConn Health.
0コメント