The Jess and Mildred Fisher Center
for Familial Cancer Research, which offers patients diagnosed with cancer or with a family history of cancer the opportunity to receive genetic counseling and testing.
Cancers that affect multiple family members and pass from generation to generation are referred to as
familial cancer syndromes.
The Breast and Ovarian Surveillance Service (BOSS), Colon Cancer Risk Assessment Service and
Familial Cancer Service are established at the Cancer Center to provide genetic counseling, testing, screening recommendations, and test prevention strategies for individuals and families at high risk of developing cancer.
Patients Tested at a Laboratory for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes Show an Overlap for Multiple Syndromes in Their Personal and
Familial Cancer Histories.
«It turns out the genes altered in the healthy cells of people
with familial cancers are often the same genes altered more broadly in cancer cells in general,» Nichols explains.
«We know the causes for
some familial cancers,» Nichols says.
By using massive sequencing techniques with more than one thousand breast cancer patients and healthy controls, researchers observed that the frequency of of EDC4 mutation carriers in patients with
familial cancer is six times higher than in healthy individuals.
Familial cancer, also known as hereditary cancer is a condition caused by mutations in specific genes that is passed from parent to child.
The familial cancers FAP and HNPCC both have an early onset, whereas the sporadic cases appear much later, around 60 years of age.
Use the following forms to help you work with
the Familial Cancer Program.
The Familial Cancer Program at Norris Cotton Cancer Center provides counseling for people who may have an increased risk of cancer because of their personal and / or family history.