PURPOSE: Cancer is familial; yet known cancer predisposition genes, as well as recognized environmental factors, explain only a small percentage of familial cancer clusters. This population-based description of cancer clustering describes patterns of cancer coaggregation suggestive of a genetic predisposition. METHODS: Using a computerized genealogy of Utah families linked to a statewide cancer registry, we estimated the relative risks for 36 different cancer sites in first-, second-, and third-degree relatives of cancer cases, for each cancer site individually, and between cancer sites. We estimated the sex- and birth-year-specific rates for cancer using 1 million individuals in the resource. We applied these rates to groups of cases or relatives and compared the observed and expected numbers of cancers to estimate relative risks. RESULTS: Many cancer sites show significantly elevated relative risks among distant relatives for cancer of the same site, strongly supporting a heritable contribution. Multiple combinations of cancer sites were observed among first-, second-, and third-degree relatives, suggesting the existence of heritable syndromes involving more than one cancer site. CONCLUSION: This complete description of coaggregation of cancer by site in a well-defined population provides a set of observations supporting heritable cancer predispositions and may support the existence of genetic factors for many different cancers.
PURPOSE: Cancer is familial; yet known cancer predisposition genes, as well as recognized environmental factors, explain only a small percentage of familial cancer clusters. This population-based description of cancer clustering describes patterns of cancer coaggregation suggestive of a genetic predisposition. METHODS: Using a computerized genealogy of Utah families linked to a statewide cancer registry, we estimated the relative risks for 36 different cancer sites in first-, second-, and third-degree relatives of cancer cases, for each cancer site individually, and between cancer sites. We estimated the sex- and birth-year-specific rates for cancer using 1 million individuals in the resource. We applied these rates to groups of cases or relatives and compared the observed and expected numbers of cancers to estimate relative risks. RESULTS: Many cancer sites show significantly elevated relative risks among distant relatives for cancer of the same site, strongly supporting a heritable contribution. Multiple combinations of cancer sites were observed among first-, second-, and third-degree relatives, suggesting the existence of heritable syndromes involving more than one cancer site. CONCLUSION: This complete description of coaggregation of cancer by site in a well-defined population provides a set of observations supporting heritable cancer predispositions and may support the existence of genetic factors for many different cancers.
Authors: Craig C Teerlink; Chad Huff; Jeff Stevens; Yao Yu; Sheri L Holmen; Mark R Silvis; Kirby Trombetti; Hua Zhao; Douglas Grossman; James M Farnham; Jingran Wen; Julio C Facelli; Alun Thomas; Markus Babst; Scott R Florell; Laurence Meyer; John J Zone; Sancy Leachman; Lisa A Cannon-Albright Journal: J Natl Cancer Inst Date: 2018-12-01 Impact factor: 13.506
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Authors: Heidi A Hanson; Claire L Leiser; Brock O'Neil; Christopher Martin; Sumati Gupta; Ken R Smith; Christopher Dechet; William T Lowrance; Michael J Madsen; Nicola J Camp Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2020-02-25 Impact factor: 4.254
Authors: N Jewel Samadder; Ken Robert Smith; Jathine Wong; Heidi Hanson; Kenneth Boucher; Randall W Burt; Michael Charlton; Kathryn R Byrne; Juan F Gallegos-Orozco; Cathryn Koptiuch; Karen Curtin Journal: Dig Dis Sci Date: 2016-09-21 Impact factor: 3.199
Authors: Deborah W Neklason; James VanDerslice; Karen Curtin; Lisa A Cannon-Albright Journal: Endocr Relat Cancer Date: 2015-11-24 Impact factor: 5.678