Hereditary cancer is the development of cancer due to an inherited gene mutation that has been passed from a parent to a child upon conception. People who have inherited such a gene mutation have also inherited an increased risk to develop cancer in their lifetime that is higher than the cancer risk of someone in the general population.

Over the past decade, scientists have discovered specific genes that can contribute to the development of hereditary breast, ovarian, colorectal, and other less common cancers. Genetic testing is now available for some of these types of hereditary cancers. People who are interested in learning whether or not they have an increased likelihood of developing certain cancers or whether they inherited a gene that contributed to their own or a family member's cancer should consult with their physician or the Cancer Genetics Program for a risk assessment analysis.

Hereditary vs. sporadic cancers

Cancer is a common disease, so most families will have some members who have had cancer. We don’t know the cause of most cancer, but we do know that most cancer is not due to a single inherited change in a gene. Cancer that is not due to an obvious inherited pattern is called “sporadic cancer.” It is believed that most— perhaps 90%—of all cancers are sporadic. This means even if cancer does not run in a family, a family member can still be at risk for some type of cancer in his or her lifetime.

Sporadic cancer and hereditary cancer differ in several ways that may affect health care decisions:

• Hereditary cancer tends to occur at an earlier age than the sporadic form of the same cancer, so screening and risk-lowering recommendations for cancer may be different and may begin at an earlier age for members of a family with an inherited gene mutation.
• Multiple family members may have inherited the same gene changes which raise the risk for certain cancers.
• Hereditary gene changes can be passed on to children.
• Individuals who have inherited a gene change may be at a higher risk for more than one type of cancer. In people who have already been diagnosed with a cancer, this may affect their cancer treatment or follow-up care.
• Specific screening or risk-lowering options exist for individuals who know they are at high risk for certain types of hereditary cancer.

The Oncology Genetics Program at The Cancer Institute at Alexian Brothers Hospital Network provides risk assessment, education and testing, when appropriate for patients and families at risk for developing a hereditary cancer.

Our Cancer Genetic Team is comprised of breast surgeons, medical oncologists, hematologic oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologist and specialty trained nurses with certification as Advanced Practice Nurses in Genetics.

General Features of Hereditary Cancer include:

• Cancer diagnosed in people younger than 50 years of age
• Uncommon/unusual cancers (e.g. ovarian, male breast, pancreatic, melanoma, sarcoma, gastric, brain, adrenal, leukemia, clear cell carcinoma)
• Multiple primary cancers in the same individual
• Combination of certain cancers in a family (e.g. breast and ovarian, colon and uterine, melanoma and pancreatic)
• The presence of multiple colorectal adenomas (polyps) in a family with or without the presence of colon cancer.
• Cancer in Ashkenazi Jewish Ancestry

Qualifications for testing.

You must be 18 years of age and provide informed consent. Testing will not be performed for pre-natal purposes. It is important to remember that 5-10% of cancers are inherited. If it is discovered that you have a hereditary predisposition to cancer, our team will develop a risk reduction plan tailored to fit your needs. This may include heightened surveillance, surgery, preventative medications and/or lifestyle modification.

Who should I contact for more information?

Please contact your physician or the Advanced Practice Nurse in Genetics at 847-755-3273