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Multiple primary cancers as a guide to heritability
Author(s) -
Cybulski Cezary,
Nazarali Safia,
Narod Steven A.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.28988
Subject(s) - cancer , breast cancer , family history , ovarian cancer , medicine , genetic testing , genetic counseling , oncology , biology , genetics
There are approximately 100 genes which when mutated are known to predispose to one or more forms of cancer. Currently, genetic testing is offered for many of these, either as single genes or as multi‐gene panels. Features of hereditary cancer include a positive family history of cancer, early age of onset and the appearance of multiple primary cancers in one individual. In some cases multiple cancers may be of the same site ( e.g ., bilateral breast cancer) and in other cases they may be at different sites. Various combinations of cancer sites may be indicative of specific cancer syndromes such as the breast ovarian cancer syndrome. Genetic testing should be offered to individuals who have experienced multiple primary cancers in some circumstances, the genetic counselor should review the ages of sites of cancer, their pathologic features and the family history of cancer as part of the pre‐test evaluation.