Abstract
Until recently, the study of the genetics of cancer was confined to the rarer familial cancer syndromes such as multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 and familial polyposis coli. This was restricted to a relatively small number of families which were managed by clinicians with a specialized research interest in these conditions. With the advent of the knowledge that at least a proportion of many of the common cancers is due to an inherited genetic predisposition, although the percentage within each site may be low, the overall numbers of individuals at risk will be large because the cancers are more common. For example, it has been estimated that about 5% of breast cancers may occur as a result of the inheritance of a dominant gene [1]. This would equate to 1250 cases per year in the UK. This has led to the development of cancer family clinics, specializing in the management of hereditary cancers.
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Eeles, R.A., Murday, V.A. (1996). The cancer family clinic. In: Eeles, R.A., Ponder, B.A.J., Easton, D.F., Horwich, A. (eds) Genetic Predisposition to Cancer. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-4501-3_25
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-4501-3_25
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