Hereditary cancer cases on the rise in India: Experts

World Cancer Day is observed every year on February 4 On this day experts express their concern over the rising cases of familial cancer in IndiaFamilial cancer is characterised by gene mutations in two or more firstdegree relatives diagnosed with the same type of cancer According to experts this condition is influenced by hereditary predisposition variable gene penetrance and environmental factorsFamilial cancers arise when multiple family members develop the same cancer more often than chance dictates While environmental factors can play a role many cases involve inherited gene mutations increasing cancer risk Mandeep Singh Malhotra Director of Surgical Oncology at CK Birla Hospital Delhi told IANS on SaturdayThese genomic cancers comprise 510 per cent of global cancer cases and understanding them is crucial for prevention Other notable familial cancer types include medullary thyroid cancer familial adenomatous polyposis FAP and Lynch syndrome linked to colorectal cancers he addedA data analysis conducted by Metropolis Healthcare on Hereditary Cancer Syndromes revealed a 4902 per cent overall positivity rateIt studied the results of 102 patients who underwent for testingOut of the total detected cases the maximum cases were of breast cancer 34 per cent followed by gastrointestinal cancer 30 per cent ovarian 8 per cent and prostate cancerHereditary predisposition passed through successive generations of a family has been implicated in 10ndash15 per cent of cancer cases Breast colon bladder and ovarian cancers are commonly associated with a hereditary predisposition said Kirti Chadha Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Oncopathologist Metropolis Healthcare LimitedChanda also mentioned that they observed a high detection rate of pathogenic mutations particularly in individuals with a personal history of at least two different primary solid tumour cancersBRCARelated Cancer diagnosed at age 40 or younger history of colorectal polyposis and other such cited associations with a higher proportion in breast gastrointestinal ovarian and prostate cancers she notedMoreover health experts recommend that if a person has close family members with cancer they should consider seeking genetic counselingThe doctors will create a pedigree chart to assess the actual risk going beyond mere apprehension Depending on the identified risks various genomic tests may be recommended targeting specific cancer types or multiple genesA person with an inherited cancer susceptibility gene should take extra steps to ensure heshe finds out ways to lower your risk and find cancer early Sunny Jain Cancer CareOncology Sr Consultant amp HOD Oncology Marengo Asia Hospitals Faridabad told IANSThis may include eating a healthy diet quitting smoking and alcohol having regular checkups enrolling in various screening programmes and being more physically active short should take care of all the modifiable risk factors for cancer he addedFor early detection and intervention once a person has the results prevention strategies can be tailored according to expertsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever