[3] Familial Cancer Syndromes

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Familial Cancer Syndromes

Beverly N. Hay

This chapter is part of: Pieters RS, Liebmann J, eds. Cancer Concepts: A Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist. Worcester, MA: UMass Chan Medical School; 2015-. doi: 10.7191/cancer_concepts

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Description
While the majority of cancers are not inherited, there are a number of well described collections of cancers that occur within families. These cancer syndromes were initially identified based on observation of the family history and subsequently the molecular mechanisms have been elucidated. This chapter in Cancer Concepts: A Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist is intended to allow the reader to recognize when a pattern of cancers occurs in an individual or their family, and to generate an investigation into potential cancer syndromes. With the rapidly expanding understanding of the molecular basis of cancers at the cellular and constitutional levels, appropriate preventive care may be offered and tailored treatment holds great promise.

Description

While the majority of cancers are not inherited, there are a number of well described collections of cancers that occur within families. These cancer syndromes were initially identified based on observation of the family history and subsequently the molecular mechanisms have been elucidated. This chapter in Cancer Concepts: A Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist is intended to allow the reader to recognize when a pattern of cancers occurs in an individual or their family, and to generate an investigation into potential cancer syndromes. With the rapidly expanding understanding of the molecular basis of cancers at the cellular and constitutional levels, appropriate preventive care may be offered and tailored treatment holds great promise.

Details

Published	Published By	DOI
March 25, 2019	UMass Chan Medical School	10.7191/cancer_concepts.1001
License Information
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Citation
Hay B. 2016. Familial Cancer Syndromes. In Pieters RS, Liebmann J, eds. Cancer Concepts: A Guidebook for the Non-Oncologist. Worcester, MA: UMass Chan Medical School; 2015-. doi: 10.7191/cancer_concepts

Publisher Notes
Familial Cancer Syndromes has the following notes:
- 2nd ed.
  
  This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, under Contract No. HHSN276201100010C with the University of Massachusetts, Worcester.