Clinical, Laboratory, and Epidemiologic Characterization of Individuals and Families at High Risk of Cancer

Launched by NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE (NCI) · Nov 3, 1999

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

Background:

Persons may be prone to develop cancer for a variety of reasons including: inherited predisposition benign, premalignant, or malignant conditions; environmental exposures shared by family members; previous tumors, immune deficiency, or preneoplastic conditions.

Investigations of individuals and families at high risk of cancer often lead to etiologic clues that may be important in the sporadic counterparts of these cancers in the general population.

Identification of etiologically important genetic factors could inform chemoprevention trials, screening programs, and treatment ...

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• * INCLUSION CRITERIA:
• On referral, persons of any age will be considered for the inclusion in the study because of either:
• • A family or personal history of neoplasia of an unusual type, pattern, or number; OR,
• • known or suspected factor(s) predisposing to neoplasia, either genetic and/or congenital factors (birth defects, metabolic phenotype, chromosomal anomalies or Mendelian traits associated with tumors), environmental exposure (medications, occupation, radiation, diet, infectious agents, etc.), or unusual demographic features (very young age of onset, multiple tumors, etc.).
• Personal and family medical history must be verified through questionnaires, interviews, and review of pathology slides and medical records. For familial neoplasms, two or more living affected cases among family members are required. The types of familial tumors that we are currently actively accruing include:
• • Familial Cancers: bladder, brain, chordoma, lung, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCC)
• • Familial Benign Neoplasms: meningiomas, neurofibromatosis 2 (bilateral acoustic neurofibromatosis)
• • The types of familial tumors under active accrual and study are predominantly investigator-and hypothesis-driven. This approach permits GEB investigators to remain alert to the opportunities afforded by clusters of rare tumors in families and individuals, and to be more responsive to the dynamic research priorities in cancer genetics.
• EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
• • Referred individuals and families for whom reported diagnoses cannot be verified.
• • Inability to provide informed consent.
• • Eligible for familial melanoma, lymphoproliferative, breast-ovarian cancer, or testicular cancer protocols.

Trial Officials