Introduction: It is well known that genes have genetic effects , so if parents have cancer, their children may have a higher risk of cancer. It can be said that heredity is also one of the high-risk factors for cancer . Careful observation will reveal that many families have cancer clusters. Which cancers from parents are easily passed on to their children? How to avoid this inheritance in real life?
In essence, cancer is a genetic disease, and many cancer types also have genetic predispositions. The famous American actor Angelina Jolie once published an article in the " New York Times ", which mentioned: "I carry a 'wrong' gene - brca1, which makes me 87% The chance of suffering from breast cancer is 50%, and the possibility of suffering from ovarian cancer is 50%. "Previously, her mother also died of breast cancer. Through the gene test, Julie found that she also inherited the same gene from her mother. The mutated gene allowed Jolie to reduce her risk of breast cancer to less than 5% through a double mastectomy. With the advocacy of public figures, more and more people are paying attention to the hereditary nature of cancer.
Can cancer really be passed on to the next generation?
The Mayo Medical Center research team studied 2,984 diagnosed cancer patients and found that more than one in eight cancer patients had heritable genetic mutations related to cancer. Their children, siblings and other relatives may also carry these cancer-causing gene mutations. The main cancer types included are: breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer , bladder cancer , prostate cancer and endometrial cancer . This study was published in JAMA Oncology under the title "Comparison of Universal Genetic Testing vs Guideline-Directed Targeted Testing for Patients With Hereditary Cancer Syndrome".
Figure 1 Research results (Source: JAMA Oncology)
Researchers conducted a prospective, multicenter study of reproductive genetic changes in patients with solid tumors treated at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center in Rochester, Minnesota. A total of 3,095 patients participated in the study, and the researchers ultimately analyzed the health data of 2,984 cancer patients. The purpose was to examine pathogenic and likely pathogenic germline variants (PGV) in genetic susceptibility genes in patients.
Researchers found PGVs in 397 patients, including 282 moderately and highly penetrant cancer susceptibility genes; variants of unknown significance in 1,415 patients; and variants with clear clinical significance in 192 patients. This study shows that more than one-eighth of cancer patients have cancer-related heritable gene mutations [1], which means that cancer is heritable. If parents suffer from cancer, their children may also "inherit it" from their parents. "Related cancer genes, the risk of developing cancer is greater.
Which cancers are genetically predisposed?
Cancers with obvious genetic tendencies mainly include:
★ Breast cancer
Breast cancer has obvious genetic tendencies. The susceptibility genes for breast cancer mainly include brca1 and brca2. 5%-10% of breast cancers are related to genetic inheritance. Generally speaking, if a mother or sister in the family has breast cancer, the risk of her daughter or sister suffering from breast cancer is about three times higher than that of the average woman.
★ Ovarian cancer
About 20%-25% of epithelial ovarian cancers are related to genetic factors. Family history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, etc. may increase the risk of ovarian cancer in female members of the family.
★ Colorectal cancer
Familial colon polyps are easy to develop into colorectal cancer. If a parent has colorectal cancer caused by this disease, the possibility of his or her children suffering from the same type of cancer is as high as 50%.
★ Gastric cancer
Family tumor history, especially the history of gastric cancer in immediate relatives, is a risk factor for gastric cancer. Family members of gastric cancer patients are 2-3 times more likely to develop gastric cancer than other people.
★ Lung cancer
A Japanese follow-up survey shows that the incidence of lung cancer is twice as high for people who have immediate relatives suffering from lung cancer than for people who do not have immediate relatives suffering from lung cancer.Among patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma, 37.8% have a family history of hereditary disease; among female patients with alveolar cell carcinoma, 58.3% have a family history of hereditary disease.
★ Endometrial cancer
Among all endometrial cancer patients, about 5% are caused by genetic factors. The age of onset of these patients is 10-20 years younger than the average age of patients with sporadic endometrial cancer. age.
★Pancreatic cancer
5%-10% of family members of pancreatic cancer patients also have a history of the disease. If there is more than one immediate relative (parents, brothers, sisters, children, etc.) in a family suffering from pancreatic cancer, then in this family Members of the population will be significantly more likely to develop the disease, often developing symptoms before the age of 50.
★ Prostate cancer
If there is a direct relative suffering from prostate cancer, the risk of developing prostate cancer will be doubled compared to the average person. If two or more immediate family members have prostate cancer, their risk of developing the disease increases to 5-11 times.
How can we prevent cancer from being passed on to our children?
The above studies mentioned that cancer is essentially a genetic disease , and many cancers have obvious genetic predispositions. So in this case, is it possible to avoid the hereditary nature of this disease in some special way?
1. Pay attention to early cancer screening and use assisted reproductive technology
The formation of cancer is not completed overnight. It is a chronic disease. Under normal circumstances, it takes 5-20 years from onset to late stage. For people with a family history of cancer, it is recommended to consult a doctor about the genetic characteristics of cancer in the family and do early cancer screening. Early prevention and early intervention may be able to delay or prevent the occurrence and development of cancer to a certain extent.
Family members with obvious genetic tendencies should also undergo genetic testing to effectively screen tumor susceptibility genes in the body through technical means to strengthen cancer prediction, prevention and control. On the other hand, after the tumor susceptibility genes are screened, assisted reproductive technology can also be used to prevent the birth of "second generation cancer" from the root cause.
2. Minimize exposure to carcinogens
There are many reasons for the eventual formation of cancer, which are usually caused by the combined effects of oncogenes, lifestyle, environmental factors, etc. Studies have shown that 70%-90% of cancers originate from patients’ poor habits. lifestyle and environmental factors. Therefore, we should adhere to good living and eating habits in our daily life, and try our best not to expose ourselves to harsh environmental factors, and reduce all possible carcinogens in our lives.
Multiple studies have shown that many cancers are hereditary. Among them, eight cancer types, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer, have obvious genetic predispositions. When you find that someone in your family suffers from these types of cancer, you should pay more attention. You can use genetic screening to detect whether you have cancer susceptibility genes to achieve early screening and early prevention. Written by
|Muzijiu
Typesetting|Muzijiu
End
Reference:
[1]Samadder NJ, Riegert-Johnson D, Boardman L, et al. Comparison of Universal Genetic Testing vs Guideline-Directed Targeted Testing for Patients With Hereditary Cancer Syndrome . JAMA Oncol. 2021 Feb 1;7(2):230-237. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.6252. Erratum in: JAMA Oncol. 2021 Feb 1;7(2):312. PMID: 33126242; PMCID: PMC7600058.
This article is an original work of Biological Exploration. Individuals are welcome to forward and share it. If any other media or website needs to reprint, the source Biological Exploration must be indicated before the text.
