Genetic CRC and what testing?

Lynch Syndrome- HNPCC. There
Lynch Syndrome- HNPCC. There are a few more but this is the most prevelant.

KRAS has nothing to do with Lynch Syndrome. KRAS is a mutation in the cell signaling pathway that keeps a specific G Protein from being "turned off." Thus, allowing for unregulated cellular signaling and proliferation.

-Joe

agree
I agree with what Joe and Tom said.

When I was diagnosed, I made sure my sister had a colonoscopy (my only 1st degree relative, in my generation).

I was told that my sons should have a colonoscopy when they are 10 years younger than I was when I was diagnosed (I was 44).

I've had genetic testing for KRAS (I'm a mutant!) -- but, as others have said, that is a different thing -- useful for determining which chemo drugs might be more or less effective for an individual patient, but unrelated to family/genetic links (I believe). There are genetic tests for that, too.

Tara

fighting for mom said:

thanks!
Thanks for the info on Lynch. My Mom just is emphatic that the colon CA is genetic- so we'll see if she is up for asking her onc about Lynch and the whole genetic consult or not.
She was dx'd at age 59. She didn't have her recommended colonoscopy at age 50= but she made sure my Dad had his at age 50. Hers was such a fast growing- adenocarcinoma- that I am not sure that scope would have found anything...but you never know.
So- the next question is this-- if it is Lynch then what? Do my 3 brothers and I need colonoscopies sooner?

Any info would be great!
Thanks!

Susan

very confusing
all this cancer stuff just blows my mind.one person is told one thing while another is told something else.i was dx colorectal cancer stage 3 in 2008.last week i just found out i had 2 mets in my liver that is from the original ccr.when i was first dx in 2008 i was floored because this does not run in my family.so when i had a reoccurance i asked the doctor why is this happening when i fought so hard the first time with chemo,radiation and surgery,why has it come back when it does not run in my family.the doc told me that everybody has cancer cells in there body and it is not hereditary.it is just something in certain peoples bodies that make these cells go bad and turn into cancer.i always thought cancer had to run in your family for you to get it but i guess this damn disease has chose me...Godbless...johnnybegood

johnnybegood said:

very confusing
all this cancer stuff just blows my mind.one person is told one thing while another is told something else.i was dx colorectal cancer stage 3 in 2008.last week i just found out i had 2 mets in my liver that is from the original ccr.when i was first dx in 2008 i was floored because this does not run in my family.so when i had a reoccurance i asked the doctor why is this happening when i fought so hard the first time with chemo,radiation and surgery,why has it come back when it does not run in my family.the doc told me that everybody has cancer cells in there body and it is not hereditary.it is just something in certain peoples bodies that make these cells go bad and turn into cancer.i always thought cancer had to run in your family for you to get it but i guess this damn disease has chose me...Godbless...johnnybegood

It is confusing
We all do have changes going on all the time in our bodies that can result in cancer cells forming all the time. In the vast majority of cases you immune system takes them out very quickly before they can divide and grow enough to cause problems. This surveillance is life long.

Some families/people/ like mine/me, have built in weak links in our DNA the predisposes to a higher risk of overwhelming our normal surveillance system. In my family I succomed to this risk at age 46 while my father got his in his 70's, his sisters in the in 70's and 80's.

Some some is familial genetic and some are due to changes going on all the time in your body (i.e. new genetic mutations or environmental exposures etc.)

Hope this helps some
Tom