| Colon Cancer |
Help Your Family Understand
Their Risk |
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By Miriam Komaromy, MD
Reviewed by Peggy Conrad, MS, CGC and Jonathan Terdiman, MD
Last updated March 3, 2001
If you have a family history of colon cancer, you may be concerned about your other family members. It turns out that there are several things you can do to help your family understand their risk of cancer.
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Know Your Risk
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People with a family history of colon cancer are at higher risk of developing the disease than people in the general population. This is especially true if your first-degree relatives — parents, children, or siblings — have colon cancer. The risk decreases if it's only your aunts, uncles, cousins, or grandparents with the disease because you share fewer genes with these more distant relatives. If you have a family history of colon cancer, everyone who is a blood relative (not a step parent, or aunt or uncle by marriage, for example) should be made aware of their risk.
You and your relatives can determine your level of risk using Genetic Health's risk assessment tools. You can also see a genetic counselor, who can help your family understand their risk level and options.
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Follow Screening Guidelines
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All adults should be screened regularly for colon cancer. However, people with a family history of the disease need to follow a more stringent screening schedule. Not only does regular screening detect the cancer at an early — and often more treatable — stage, but colon cancer screening is also the best way to prevent the disease because it allows doctors to remove the colon polyps that can turn into cancer. How often each person is screened depends on their level of risk, and on what each person's doctor recommends.
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Stay Informed
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If you learn that you are at increased risk of colon cancer or have been treated for cancer, you will want to be informed of any new developments that might help prevent or treat the disease. One way to do this is to register for MyGeneticHealth: One of the benefits is that we'll provide you with easily digestible summaries of the latest research and medical developments, tailored to convey the news that's pertinent to you and your family.
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Participate in Research
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Participating in research studies gives you the chance to try new approaches to both screening and prevention. In addition, you help others by furthering the medical and scientific communities' understanding of hereditary colon cancer.
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References
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Burke W. et al. (1997) Recommendations for follow-up care of individuals with an inherited predisposition to cancer. JAMA. 277:997-1003.
US Preventative Services Task Force (1996) Guide to clinical preventive services. (2nd ed.) Alexandria, VA: International Medical Publishing.
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