Q: I have heard that there are some varieties of cancer that are hereditary. I wonder if it is in my family. I do not have any signs of cancer, but there have been people in my family who have died of cancer. Some of them were only in their 40s: one parent, two uncles, one aunt and two grandparents. They did not all have the same kind of cancer. Do you think I ought to get genetic testing?
A: Cancer is still one of the most common causes of death in North America, so most families will have some people who died from it. Some types of cancer seem to be inherited.
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Familial polyposis of the colon is one of them, and you can get tested for this. Some forms of breast cancer also seem to run in families.
There is also a genetic condition known as Lynch syndrome, which increases a person’s chance of getting a certain type of colon cancer not associated with polyps. It is relatively rare, occurring in only three percent of all cases of colon cancer.
The onset is often earlier than the other types, with sufferers in their 30s and 40s.
People with Lynch syndrome also have an increased risk of cancer of the stomach, small intestine, liver, gallbladder ducts, kidneys, brain and skin.
Affected women have a higher risk of endometrial (uterine) and ovarian cancer. Men can also get breast cancer in rare cases and this may also be inherited.
You should talk to your doctor before deciding whether to have genetic testing and get routine colonoscopies and mammograms as recommended.
Here’s some reasons for getting checked:
- Several relatives (parents, sisters, brothers, children) have cancer, often the same type.
- Cancers in your family are linked to a single gene mutation, breast, ovarian or pancreatic cancer.
- Family members had cancer at a younger age than normal.
- Close relatives had rare cancers linked to inherited cancer syndromes.
- A physical finding, such as colon polyps, could be linked to an inherited cancer.
- Genetic mutations have been identified in other family members.
