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Overview :
The possibility of a familial or hereditary cancer should be
considered in a patient with certain clinical features.
A hereditary or familial disorder be considered if one or
more of the following is present:
(1) diagnosis
of cancer at an unusually early age
(2) multiple
primary tumors arising simultaneously in the same organ
(3) bilateral
development of primary tumors in a paired organ
(4) 2 or more
primary tumors in the same individual
(5) presence of
a close relative with the same or a related tumor
(6) high rate
of cancer in a family
(7) presence of
congenital anomalies or birth defects
(8) forebears
from a genetic group with a high rate of hereditary disorders such as Ashkenazi
Jews
(9) family is known
to have a specific genetic mutation or disorder
Problems that may limit the evaluation:
(1) absence of
a familial history because of adoption
(2) problems
with paternity
(3) no
surviving relatives available for testing
(4) errors or
incompleteness of clinical information provided by relatives (ancestry,
diagnosis, etc.)
(5) errors or
incompleteness in the medical record
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