Characteristics of 240 Chinese father-child pairs with malignant disease

To obtain a screening and early detection reference for individuals who have a family history of cancer on the paternal side, we collected and analyzed data from 240 pairs in which both fathers and their children were diagnosed with cancer. Disease categories of fathers and sons were similar to that of the general population of China, whereas daughters were different from general female population with high incidence of breast cancer and gynecological cancer. Sons were more likely than daughters to have the same type of cancer, or to have cancer in the same organ system as their fathers (P <0.0001). Sons and daughters developed malignant diseases 11 and 16 years earlier than their fathers, respectively (P < 0.0001 for both sons and daughters). Daughters developed malignant diseases 5 years earlier than sons (P < 0.0001). Men with a family history of malignant tumors on the paternal side should be screened for malignancies from the age of 45 years, or 11 years earlier than the age of their fathers< diagnosis, and women should be screened from the age of 40 years, or 16 years earlier than the age at which their fathers were diagnosed with cancer. Lung cancer should be investigated in both men and women, whilst screening should focus on cancer of the digestive system in men and on breast and gynecological cancer (ovary, uterine and cervical cancer) in women.