7.+Hereditary+Colon+Cancer+from+the+Cleveland+Clinic

Hereditary colon cancer from the Cleveland clinic. (1995). Retrieved August 26, 2009, from Cleveland Clinic Web site: http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/2600/2665.asp

What Colon Cancer Is- “ Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. Most colon cancers are sporadic: that is, they are not inherited and cannot be passed to your children. Although the cause is usually unknown, sporadic cancers may occur due to environmental exposures. In other cases, mistakes (mutations) can occur in genes by chance when a cell divides.”

Causes, Hereditary and Environmental-
 * “** **Most colon cancers are sporadic: that is, they are not inherited and cannot be passed to your children. Although the cause is usually unknown, sporadic cancers may occur due to environmental exposures.”**

Causes, Hereditary-
 * “About 5-10% of colon cancers are believed to be hereditary. When a person is at risk for hereditary cancer, this means that he or she has inherited a gene with a change in it, called a mutation, that makes the person more prone to developing cancer.”**

**“** **Individuals who inherit a mutation in a cancer susceptibility gene have a much greater chance of developing cancer. However, not everyone with a cancer susceptibility gene mutation will develop cancer.”** “The genes that have been associated with HNPCC are called //MLH1, MSH2, MSH6,// and //PMS2//. Everyone has two copies of each of these genes; one they inherit from their mother and one they inherit from their father. People with HNPCC have a mutation in one copy of one of these genes, which can be passed on to future generations.”

“People with FAP can also develop polyps in the stomach and small intestine. With this syndrome, there is an increased risk of cancers of the stomach, small intestine, pancreas, thyroid, liver, bile ducts, and adrenal glands.”