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Familial risks of cancer as a guide to gene identification and mode of inheritance

Hemminki, Kari LU and Li, Xinjun LU (2004) In International Journal of Cancer 110(2). p.291-294
Abstract

Occurrence of cancer in parents and offspring may be due to dominant causes, whereas cancer affecting only siblings may indicate a recessive causation. Systematic comparisons of mode of inheritance have not been available for most types of cancer. Using the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated for offspring whose parents or siblings were diagnosed with the same cancer. The degree of environmental causation was assessed by spouse correlation and by comparing risks among siblings of different ages. We identified reliable familial risks for all common neoplasms, SIRs ranging from 1.6 to 4.3 when only a parent was affected and up to 8.5 when only a sibling was effected. Risks between siblings... (More)

Occurrence of cancer in parents and offspring may be due to dominant causes, whereas cancer affecting only siblings may indicate a recessive causation. Systematic comparisons of mode of inheritance have not been available for most types of cancer. Using the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated for offspring whose parents or siblings were diagnosed with the same cancer. The degree of environmental causation was assessed by spouse correlation and by comparing risks among siblings of different ages. We identified reliable familial risks for all common neoplasms, SIRs ranging from 1.6 to 4.3 when only a parent was affected and up to 8.5 when only a sibling was effected. Risks between siblings were particularly high for renal cancer. Spouse correlation was found only for lung and stomach cancer, but the analysis of sibling risks by their age difference suggested that even for some other cancers environmental effects in childhood may contribute to familial aggregation. The results from these analysis suggest that familial cluster of cancer at most sites is heritable, caused by dominant effects; for renal cancer recessive effects may be most important.

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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Family, Humans, Neoplasms/genetics, Oncogenes, Risk
in
International Journal of Cancer
volume
110
issue
2
pages
4 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:2342650027
  • pmid:15069696
ISSN
0020-7136
DOI
10.1002/ijc.20107
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
7d46bd1c-c098-4fd8-912f-6f215bd249fb
date added to LUP
2019-01-30 11:44:55
date last changed
2024-03-02 18:41:35
@article{7d46bd1c-c098-4fd8-912f-6f215bd249fb,
  abstract     = {{<p>Occurrence of cancer in parents and offspring may be due to dominant causes, whereas cancer affecting only siblings may indicate a recessive causation. Systematic comparisons of mode of inheritance have not been available for most types of cancer. Using the Swedish Family-Cancer Database, standardized incidence ratios (SIR) were calculated for offspring whose parents or siblings were diagnosed with the same cancer. The degree of environmental causation was assessed by spouse correlation and by comparing risks among siblings of different ages. We identified reliable familial risks for all common neoplasms, SIRs ranging from 1.6 to 4.3 when only a parent was affected and up to 8.5 when only a sibling was effected. Risks between siblings were particularly high for renal cancer. Spouse correlation was found only for lung and stomach cancer, but the analysis of sibling risks by their age difference suggested that even for some other cancers environmental effects in childhood may contribute to familial aggregation. The results from these analysis suggest that familial cluster of cancer at most sites is heritable, caused by dominant effects; for renal cancer recessive effects may be most important.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hemminki, Kari and Li, Xinjun}},
  issn         = {{0020-7136}},
  keywords     = {{Family; Humans; Neoplasms/genetics; Oncogenes; Risk}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{291--294}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Familial risks of cancer as a guide to gene identification and mode of inheritance}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ijc.20107}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/ijc.20107}},
  volume       = {{110}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}