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Screening for cancer susceptibility in children
1Division of Oncology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Current Opinion in Pediatrics
|February 1, 1994
Summary
Genetic susceptibility significantly increases hereditary cancer risk. Identifying tumor suppressor genes aids in detecting cancer-prone individuals and families, but ethical considerations are crucial.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Genetics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Family aggregation of various cancers suggests a genetic component.
- Tumor suppressor genes are increasingly implicated in hereditary cancer syndromes.
- Recent advances have identified specific genes linked to childhood and adult-onset cancers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the identification and implications of genes associated with hereditary cancers.
- To discuss the development and evaluation of genetic screening assays for cancer risk.
- To highlight the ethical and psychosocial aspects of predictive cancer testing.
Main Methods:
- Review of epidemiologic studies on cancer aggregation in families.
- Analysis of recent literature on tumor suppressor gene identification and localization.
- Discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of genetic screening assays for cancer risk.
Main Results:
- Identification of specific genes linked to hereditary retinoblastoma, Wilms' tumor, breast, and colon cancers.
- Development of techniques for analyzing germline alterations in cancer-prone individuals.
- Evaluation of screening assays and their associated benefits and challenges.
Conclusions:
- Genetic susceptibility is a key factor in hereditary cancers.
- Tumor suppressor gene research has advanced the identification of at-risk individuals.
- Ethical and psychosocial considerations are paramount in predictive cancer testing.