Breast or colon cancer

90% of people with breast or bowel cancer has a sporadic form of cancer which means that the risk to other family members is low. Sporadic cancers are thought not to be inherited and to be caused by many different environmental and genetic factors. Testing for a cancer predisposition gene in sporadic forms of cancer does not usually detect an abnormality.

A small proportion of people with breast or bowel cancer (about 5%) may have a hereditary form of cancer. This means that alterations in a single gene are the cause of the increased risk. In that situation, other people in the family may also have an increased risk of cancer.

Questionnaires

The questionnaires on this page will assess the risk that a form of hereditary cancer could be present in the family. Complete all questions on the first page if you would like to know whether the family of this patient could be at an increased risk of hereditary breast or bowel cancer. Proceed to the second page only if the answer to all questions on the first page is no.

This test provides an initial risk assessment, but does not determine whether an inherited cancer is present. Anyone who is assessed as having an increased risk of a hereditary form of cancer by this questionnaire is advised a referral to a geneticist for further discussion. Additionally, anyone who is assessed as having a moderately increased family risk of cancer is advised extra surveillance.

Breast cancer risk assessment

Colon cancer risk assessment

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Verwijzers Verwijzersinformatie Erfelijke kanker Hereditary cancer

Breast or colon cancer

The development of cancer can have several causes. Only a small proportion of all cancer is hereditary; approximately 5%. Read more

Pedriatric cancer

In a minority of children with cancer, genetic predisposition plays a decisive role. Read more

Pedriatric cancer

In a minority of children with cancer, genetic predisposition plays a decisive role. It is important to identify those patients. For the patient, diagnosis of such a cancer predisposition syndrome may lead to strategies for optimal therapy and surveillance measures for early detection of a second primary cancer. A cancer surveillance program might also be warranted for family members and detection of a predisposing genetic mutation might allow for reproductive counseling and prenatal diagnosis.

When to refer for genetic counselling

This test on this page will determine if your patient has features suggestive of a genetic predisposition for cancer and whether referral to a clinical geneticist is indicated. The questions can be answered by clicking YES or NO. If you have answered YES, you will receive a recommendation to refer your patient to a clinical geneticist. At this point, the test ends for you. If you have answered all questions with NO, then there is no indication for referral of your patient.

Pediatric cancer risk assessment

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