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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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