Types of Inherited Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is becoming more common. A small percentage, approximately 10%, however are not random, they have an inherited form of colon cancer. This could be caused by four different hereditary conditions, hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis, juvenile polyposis (this may also be nonhereditary) and Peutz-Jegher's syndrome.Colon cancer is caused by damage to the genes in your colon cells. This unrestricted growth becomes a polyp, which will become cancerous if it's not removed. Inherited colon cancers are difficult to accurately diagnose. With a bit of research into that patient's family tree, many more cases of colon cancer may be found and documented.The two most common inherited colon cancers are hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer (HNPCC) and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Thanks to these blood tests, a person who has inherited the disease can begin getting tested for colon cancer at an earlier age than most people. Hereditary non-polyposis colon cancer occurs when the gene damage interferes with cell repair. HNPCC causes about 5% of all colon cancer diagnoses, but it can cause other cancers as well. A person with HNPCC has an 80% chance of developing colon cancer. Even with this high risk, regular checkups and cancer screenings can save your life by preventing or catching cancer early on.Familial adenomatous polyposis causes hundreds, even thousands, of polyps to develop in a person's digestive tract. Because a person affected by FAP begins developing colon polyps at an early age - he or she often develops colon cancer by age 40, ten years earlier than most physicians even begin screening for it. This is why it is recommended that people with a family history get the blood test for FAP.Juvenile polyposis often causes polyps in the colon and small intestine. Peutz-Jegher's syndrome is a genetic condition that causes intestinal polyps and freckles on the skin of the mouth. There are no recorded cases of Peutz-Jegher's freckles developing into skin cancer. The main risk of colon cancer comes from the intestinal polyps.

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