Hereditary non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC).



Hereditary non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC).

Introduction

Colon cancer is one of many cancers to plague United States citizens. There are four known types of colon cancer. Fourteen percent of all cancers diagnosed are colon cancer. Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer. Sporadic cancer accounts for 80 percent of all colon cancers and is considered non-hereditary. The remaining 20 percent of cancer are related to heredity. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (FAP) and Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer (HNPCC) are hereditary colon cancers. There is another hereditary colon cancer, which is rare. This type of cancer only effects individuals are from Ashkenzi Jewish descent (Wendy, 2010).

Hereditary colon cancer is passed from parents to their offspring through the genes. Hereditary colon cancer accounts for 21 percent of all colon cancers. Familial Adenomatous Polyposis Coli (FAP) is very rare and only accounts for one percent of all cases. If a person had FAP, they would develop hundreds or even thousands of colon polyps. These polyps are developed at a very young age, Some people have been known to be as young as 13years of age. Most colon polyps are benign but some become cancerous. Most FAP patients develop cancer by the age of 39. Another form of hereditary cancer is Hereditary Non-Polyposis (HNPCC). HNPCC accounts for five to ten percent of all cases. HNPCC develops also at a young age but not as young as FAP patients. The actual cancer appears in the persons 40's. HNPCC is known as a "fast growing" form of cancer. Along with colon cancer HNPCC patients are also at a much higher risk for other forms of cancer.

Discussion

Hereditary Non-polyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC) is an inherited colorectal cancer syndrome accounting for 5 percent of all cases of colorectal cancer.

Patients with HNPCC have an 80 percent chance of developing colorectal cancer. The condition can be passed from parent to child and is therefore considered "hereditary." The term "non-polyposis" means "without polyps"—contrasting HNPCC to another inherited condition called familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), which is characterized by hundreds to thousands of polyps that develop in the colon (Burn, 2008).

Causes

HNPCC is caused by an inherited mutation or abnormality in a gene that normally repairs our body's DNA. There are at least five genes that have been found to cause HNPCC. They are called Mismatch Repair Genes. If part of the DNA is not matched properly, cancer can occur.

Because the HNPCC gene mutation is present in every cell, the body's other organs can develop cancers too. Cancer of the uterus (womb or endometrium) is very common and may be the main cancer in some families with HNPCC. Other cancers can occur in the rest of gastrointestinal tract (stomach, small intestine, pancreas), urinary system (kidney, ureter) and female reproductive organs (ovary). Although the risk of developing cancer in HNPCC is high, knowing about the risk of cancer and getting appropriate check-ups and treatment by experts in this disorder can save lives and prevent cancer (Wendy, 2010).

How is HNPCC diagnosed?

Family History

The first step ...