So you can find out whether you carry a cancer Gene in you

Personal Health

Who carries a particular Gene, it gets untreated, 100 percent of colorectal cancer. Another Gene with a high probability of breast cancer. A death sentence, but it is not. On the contrary, he Who knows his inherited risk, may, at an early stage to the defence.

Many still remember the radical surgery that left Angelina Jolie 2013 perform: Doctors removed both Breasts by the then 37-year-old movie stars. Geneticists had calculated previously, an 87-percent probability to develop breast cancer. This risk didn’t want to take Jolie, whose mother died of breast cancer.

The drastic action of for their beauty admired actress advanced at the time, a cancer risk awareness that was unknown to many people: the disease can be inherited. Women who carry a Mutation of the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2, will get 60 – to 80-percent likelihood of breast cancer. Also, the risk of ovarian cancer is several times higher than in women without the gene mutation.

Also in the colorectal cancer familial risk plays a larger role in disease than many other types of cancer. Experts estimate that every fourth to fifth colorectal cancer has a genetic component.

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Many genetically-related types of cancer are rare

The human geneticist Stefan Aretz from the Biomedizinischem centre at the University hospital of Bonn, says: “There are, moreover, many so-called hereditary tumor syndromes (ETS), some are very rare, about 50 it is likely to be at least. And we know of over 100 genes, in which germline mutations in the ETS can.“

But how do I know if I am one of the risk candidate? A look into the medical history of the family is first of all necessary to: multiple cancer cases in first – degree Relatives, maternal or paternal, is untypical of young cancer patients, and the same cancer more frequently.

For breast cancer, there is a risk list for the possible cancer risk from the genes:

  • a minimum of 3 closely related women from a family line are ill
  • at least 2 women are affected, including a sub-50
  • at least 1 woman has breast cancer, and 1 woman has ovarian cancer
  • a minimum of 1 woman from breast and ovarian cancer
  • at least 1 woman has bilateral breast cancer, the first disease under 50
  • at least 1 woman is suffering with under 35
  • at least 2 women have ovarian cancer
  • at least 1 man has breast cancer, and 1 woman has breast or ovarian cancer.

In men, genetically-related breast cancer is rare, you can give the risk Gene, but more. And you have cancer as a carrier of an increased risk for prostate and pancreatic.

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For hereditary colon cancer, there is a similar list. It relates specifically to the two family clusters of pre-existing conditions with a high risk of cancer:

In the case of familial adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) constitute again and again a countless number of benign mucosal polyps in the colon, which if left untreated, cancer developed. The cause is a Defect in the so-called APC gene.

The hereditary nonpolypöses Colon cancer (HNPCC, Lynch syndrome) is the likelihood, often at a young age to colon cancer, at 80 percent. The inherited genetic changes in HNPCC/Lynch syndrome do not affect the skin only, the cells of the intestinal mucosa. Therefore, HNPCC does not have disease-patients have an increased colorectal cancer risk, but also an increased risk for other cancer.

Amsterdam-I criteria for hereditary nonpolypöses Colon cancer:

  • at least three members of the family have or have had colorectal cancer
  • one of them is a first degree Relative of the other two
  • at least two successive generations are affected, or were of colorectal cancer
  • at least one of the Diseased is or was at diagnosis younger than 50 years

Amsterdam II criteria for hereditary nonpolypöses Colon cancer:

  • at least three members of the family have or have had a HNPCC associated cancer (of the colon or rectum, uterus, small bowel, renal pelvis or ureter)
  • one of them is a first degree Relative of the other two
  • at least two successive generations are affected, or were of such a cancer
  • at least one of the Diseased is or was at diagnosis younger than 50 years

No genetic testing without accompanying counseling

Who wants to find out the possible cancer risk, you can take a so-called genetic counseling in claim, wherein a potential genetic test from a blood sample is always in the consultations will be included. The result can be not only for the victims themselves of a burden, but also siblings, or children to worry about it.

Stefan Aretz indicates a difficulty of the genetic testing, which is the least aware: “A prediction of the cancer risk for healthy relatives, we can, we are all genetically-related diseases, receive only if we have detected a causative Mutation in the disease.” The worried children, or siblings would come only after the death of a cancer patient, would the search of the genes difficult.

In what age can a genetic test for the evaluation of genetic risk should be carried out depends on the evaluation of the family history. Permitted to Test for breast cancer with the age of majority. As a rule of thumb: early detection examinations of 25 or five years before the first illness of a close relative.

Sometimes, children should be tested

Stefan Aretz, Professor of medicine at the Institute for human genetics of the University hospital of Bonn, added: “In the case of other hereditary tumor syndromes can be tested much earlier and to be reacted, for example in the case of the Multiple Endocrine neoplasia (MEN). Since the thyroid gland can be removed in childhood.“

Also, the genetic risk of colorectal cancer FAP is a molecular genetic Test as early as the 10 can therefore. The age of be carried out. In addition to close control from the very Childhood, the last consequence can be the removal of the colon up to 20.Age be. Modern surgical methods can prevent an artificial outlet (Stoma).

The diagnosis of colorectal cancer means for patients is not only an emotional break down, but often also a financial. Who wants to support patients, you can donate to the following account:

Felix Burda Foundation
IBAN: DE35 6808 0030 0730 0323 01
BIC: DRESDEFF680
Commerzbank Offenburg
Keyword: “patient assistance colon cancer”

For more information, please refer to this Link. The Felix Burda Foundation with headquarters in Munich was founded in 2001 by Dr. Christa Maar and the publisher Prof. Dr. Hubert Burda and bears the name of its 2001 cancer of the colon, deceased son.

The Foundation is dedicated exclusively to the prevention of colon cancer and is today one of the most well-known, non-profit institutions in the German Health Community.

Following a positive breast cancer-genetic testing genetic test result affected women are in a psychologically stressful situation in which you need to have serious decisions. Good advice and psycho-oncological care, you can expect to the centers for familial breast and ovarian cancer.

Stay away from genetic testing from the Internet

Dorothee Speiser from the centre for familial breast and ovarian cancer at the Charité, says: “each a specialist in genetics can perform the Test and a good advice. You are not a gynecologist, and in the consequence of an Affected lands in a specialized center.“

Before testing from the Internet, the Doctor strongly advises, not only because of the lack of consultation. “Many Online Tests don’t capture simply all of the individually-relevant genes.”

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Fear of radical breast SURGERY

Many women imagine that the consequence of a positive genetic test is the Amputation of the Breasts. “Not at all”, reassured Dorothee Speiser. “To have a preventive mastectomy is thinking only in the mutations of the two main risk genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, not in the whole range of Subgenen.”

Then, the type of cancer, the diseased Relatives play a role and the assessment of the breast tissue in the MRI. “The first step of our consulting de-escalation is always.” An intensive early detection, the better Option is often. However, the woman must be able to live in order that the cancer is discovered early, but can be prevented.

The removal of the ovaries is faster, because there is for ovarian cancer has no early detection. Speiser identifies a Benchmark: In the case of BRCA2, the ovaries should be removed with about 45, in the case of BRCA1 from about 40.

In General, patients have a genetic cancer at high risk to suffer a later relapse, or another type of cancer to.

Family doctors know little about family heaping cancer

Before worried relatives seek a consultation appointment with one of the centers for hereditary cancer, you should discuss with a doctor you trust. In the best case he can refute the possible risk factors, or patients in the case of reasonable suspicion of a hereditary Tumor to a specialty center transferred.

Expert Stefan Aretz says: “You can expect from family doctors no detailed knowledge, but you should at least know the Symptoms: a familial clustering of tumors, young age of onset, the Occurrence of several independent tumors in a patient, or the Occurrence of a very rare tumor.” In addition, the collection of medical family histories was inadequate. “Most of the families with ETS will not be recognized, still today, probably.”