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Familiality in brain tumors.
Deborah T Blumenthal1, Lisa A Cannon-Albright
1Division of Oncology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel. dvorab@tasmc.health.gov.il
Neurology
|September 24, 2008
Summary
This study found strong evidence for a familial link in primary brain cancers, suggesting both shared environment and genetic factors contribute to brain tumor risk. Further research may identify specific genes involved in familial brain tumors.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Cancer genetics
- Population genetics
Background:
- Familiality of brain tumors remains incompletely understood.
- Previous studies have not definitively established a familial link for primary brain cancers.
- Investigating familial clustering is crucial for understanding brain tumor etiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the familial clustering of primary brain tumors using a comprehensive genealogical database.
- To determine if specific histologic types of brain tumors exhibit familial aggregation.
- To estimate the relative risk of brain tumors among relatives of affected individuals.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Utah Population Data Base (UPDB), linking genealogical data with statewide cancer records.
- Analyzed 1,401 primary brain tumor cases (astrocytoma or glioblastoma) with multi-generational data.
- Employed the Genealogical Index of Familiality method to assess excess relatedness and calculated relative risks for relatives.
Main Results:
- Observed significant excess relatedness for astrocytomas and glioblastomas combined, and for astrocytomas alone.
- Identified significantly increased risks for first- and second-degree relatives of astrocytoma patients.
- Found significantly increased risks for first-degree relatives of combined astrocytoma/glioblastoma cases and glioblastoma cases.
Conclusions:
- This research provides robust evidence for a familial component in primary brain cancer.
- The familial link appears to involve both shared environmental factors and a heritable genetic contribution.
- Identified high-risk pedigrees offer potential for discovering genes predisposing individuals to familial brain tumors.
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