New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Research calls for stricter screening recommendations for family history of colon cancer

If you have a close family member with colorectal cancer, don't delay screening

Date:
October 6, 2015
Source:
American Gastroenterological Association
Summary:
All relatives of individuals with colorectal cancer are at increased risk for this cancer, regardless of the age of diagnosis of the index patient in the family, according to a new study.
Share:
FULL STORY

All relatives of individuals with colorectal cancer are at increased risk for this cancer, regardless of the age of diagnosis of the index patient in the family, according to a study published online in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. These findings may impact future guidance regarding colorectal cancer screening.

"Most surprising, we identified a more than two-fold increase in risk of colorectal cancer among young first-degree relatives (under 50 years of age) of individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer at advanced ages (60 to 80 years)," said lead study author N. Jewel Samadder, MSc, MD, from Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. "This risk is not currently appreciated. Increased awareness of this risk may serve as incentive to increase screening intensity for all patients with a first-degree family history of colorectal cancer."

The researchers conducted a population-based case-control study in Utah identifying 18,208 index patients from the Utah Cancer Registry diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1980 and 2010; age- and sex-matched cancer-free individuals were selected to form the comparison group. Increased risk was observed in all relatives regardless of age of the family member's cancer diagnosis, although the risk was greatest for young relatives (under 50 years) of individuals who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer before 40 years of age. However, familial risk was increased in first-degree relatives even when the index case was diagnosed with cancer at an advanced age (older than 80 years).

These findings support the current screening guidelines for patients with a family history of colorectal cancer, primarily more aggressive screening for first-degree relatives of persons with colorectal cancer at an age younger than 60 years. However, because colorectal cancer diagnosis even in an older patient can be a predictor of higher risk of this cancer in their relatives, relatives might benefit from knowing this moderate risk and thus avoiding known modifiable risk factors and consider preventative measures.

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the U.S. and is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Heritability is one of the strongest risk factors for colorectal cancer.


Story Source:

Materials provided by American Gastroenterological Association. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. N. Jewel Samadder, Ken Robert Smith, Heidi Hanson, Richard Pimentel, Jathine Wong, Kenneth Boucher, Dennis Ahnen, Harminder Singh, Cornelia M. Ulrich, Randall W. Burt, Karen Curtin. Increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer Among Family Members of All Ages, Regardless of Age of Index Case at Diagnosis. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2015; DOI: 10.1016/j.cgh.2015.06.040

Cite This Page:

American Gastroenterological Association. "Research calls for stricter screening recommendations for family history of colon cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 October 2015. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151006123828.htm>.
American Gastroenterological Association. (2015, October 6). Research calls for stricter screening recommendations for family history of colon cancer. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151006123828.htm
American Gastroenterological Association. "Research calls for stricter screening recommendations for family history of colon cancer." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151006123828.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES