Cancer genetics lecture

Question 1

Cancer: what % of total?

• familial
• hereditary
• sporadic

Answer 1

• 30% (familial–due to multiple genes and environment)
• 10%
• 60%

Question 2

‘Red flags’ for possible hereditary cancer

Answer 2

• family: others affected, more than 1 generation affected
• self: younger than expected age of dx, more than 1 cancer in same person
• ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Question 3

Familial retinoblastoma

• what is it
• genetic inheritance pattern

Answer 3

• mutation in Rb tumor suppressor gene. 2 hit hypothesis

- auto dominant