Familial and Hereditary Tumors

For many years the etiology of human tumors has almost exclusively been attributed to environmental factors, which seemed to be involved not only in the induction of neo­ plasms but also in other phases of tumorigenesis. Cigarette smoking and alcohol are the two best known examples of factors related to our modern lifestyle which have been implicated in the development of cancer of various organs. From the 1960s onward, the pioneer work of a few investigators clearly showed that hereditary factors were not only related to rare neoplasms, but could also be respon­ sible for the occurrence of a sizeable fraction of tumors that do not usually show features of inheritance (as in the case of breast or colorectal cancer). Thus, the idea that some common human malignancies could be transmitted from one generation to another with features of mendelian gene­ tics became more and more evident. In addition, the verit­ able explosion of molecular biology in the last 15 years has made a further and substantial contribution to the emerging role of genetics in biomedical research and particularly in cancer.

Inhalt

Genetic Aspects of Disease: Categories of Genetic Disorders.- Biomarkers of Increased Susceptibility to Cancer.- Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes.- Genetic Factors in Solid Tumors of Childhood.- Retinoblastoma.- Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia.- Hereditary Tumors of the Nervous System.- Hereditary Melanoma and Dysplastic Nevus Syndrome.- Hereditary and Familial Breast Tumors.- Hereditary and Familial Ovarian Cancer.- Genetic Factors in Lung Cancer.- Genetic Factors in Precancerous Lesions and Cancer of the Esophagus.- Genetic Predisposition and Environmental Factors in Gastric Carcinoma.- Hereditary and Familial Colorectal Cancer.- Hereditary Gastrointestinal Polyposis Syndromes.- Familial Aspects in Carcinoma of the Pancreas.- Li-Fraumeni Syndrome.- Genetic Factors in Leukemia and Lymphoma.- Familial Factors in Cancer of the Genitourinary Tract.- Cancer-Prone Hereditary Diseases Associated with Abnormalities of DNA Repair.- Familial Tumors of Other Organs.