Young People, Genes & Colon Cancer
It may explain the rise of colon cancer among some young adults, the answer could be in their genes.
“About 15% of colorectal cancer is genetically inheritable. And a smaller sub-set of that is what we call Lynch syndrome or HNPCC colon cancer,” explains colorectal surgeon Dr. Valerie Dyke. She is on medical staff of Lee Memorial Health System.
Lynch syndrome in an inherited defect- handed down the family tree. Doctors are starting to look for it during surgery in a program called reflex testing.
“Every single colon tumor is going to be tested if it is removed in someone who is aged 60 or younger. We’re going to test every single one and let everyone know through the genetics counselors whether they test positive for this syndrome,” says Dr. Dyke.
Testing tumors is a starting point. If this deviant gene is identified, it is a warning for the entire family. The mutation is inherited by 50%- meaning if a parent has it, their child has a 50% chance of carry the gene. So one confirmation means the rest of the family should be screened.
“There are blood tests they can run on other members of your family and they can also do extra testing on you to see if you would have any of the other cancers that go along with this syndrome,” says Dr. Dyke.
Carriers also have a genetic predisposition for ovarian, bladder, kidney and endometrial cancers. The lifetime risk of colorectal may be as high as 80%.
“When we find children whose parents have this genetic variant we start the screening in their early 20s,” says Dr. Dyke.
Cancers related to this gene tend to striker younger with a more aggressive nature.
“We think in average people it takes from 5-10 years to go from a polyp to a cancer- we think in people with HNPCC that they could go more rapidly within a few years.”
Understanding your family history- may help you better gauge your future cancer risk.
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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.
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