Southern Health Familial Cancer Centre

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Colorectal (Bowel) Cancer

Bowel cancer generally refers to cancer of the large bowel (which is made up of the colon and rectum). Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer. It is the second most common cause of death due to cancer in Australia.

More than one person in the family with bowel cancer can occur:

• Just by chance because cancer is common
• Because family members have environmental and lifestyle influences in common
• Because of an inherited changed gene which causes an increased risk of bowel cancer (relatively uncommon). 95% of people with bowel cancer do not have an inherited faulty ‘cancer protection’ gene.

Individuals may benefit from a consultation if they have:

• 3 or more close family members (on the same side of the family) diagnosed with bowel cancer
• 2 or more close family members (on the same side of the family) diagnosed with bowel cancer, plus any of the following high risk features
  • multiple bowel cancers in a family member
  • bowel cancer before the age of 50
  • a family member who has had an HNPCC¹-related cancer (endometrial, ovarian, stomach, small bowel, renal pelvis or ureter, biliary tract, brain cancer)
  • at least one close family member who has had bowel cancer with a large number of adenomatous polyps throughout the large bowel (suspected FAP²)
• A member of the family who has been identified as having a gene mutation that confers a high risk of bowel cancer

The following features are also relevant in the assessment of a person’s risk of developing bowel cancer:

• The nature of the bowel condition
• The cancer developed at a young age (less that 50 years)
• How closely related the individual is to the affected family member.

1 HNPCC – Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colorectal Cancer
2 FAP – Familial Adenomatous Polyposis
 

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