Genetic CRC and what testing?

fighting for mom
fighting for mom Member Posts: 96
in Colorectal Cancer #1
A refresher- My Mom was dx with colon CA 2B 2 years ago. She had a resection and follow up chemo. All of her follow up CTs and CEAs are looking awesome. She still has a hard time with fatigue and general pain- chemo affects.
She is pretty sure that her Mom, my grandma, had undiagnosed colon CA. She had many of the same symptoms of my Mom- but didn't have a colonoscopy or anything before she passed. So, my question is - what is the genetic colon CA called? I am pretty sure there is some type of test- is it Kras? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I am not really sure how this info will play out for me- but knowledge is power.
Thanks,
Susan

Comments

  • NJC
    NJC Member Posts: 73 Member
    #2
    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
  • kuastoi
    kuastoi Member Posts: 63
    #3
    NJC said:

    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

    Lynch
    Joe is right - Lynch syndrome is one of the more common genetic forms of colon cancer - among several. Your Mom's Oncologist or her cancer center should have a genetic counselor that can sit down with you and your mom to review your history and guide any family testing.

    K-ras, B-raf and other tests that can be don directly on your Mom's tumor/blood samples to assess her genotype for the guidance of treatment/drug selection - they are not tests to assess your risk or your families risk for future cancer.

    Tom (Lynch patient)
  • taraHK
    taraHK Member Posts: 1,952 Member
    #4
    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
    fighting for mom Member Posts: 96
    #5
    taraHK said:

    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

    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
  • johnnybegood
    johnnybegood Member Posts: 1,117 Member
    #6
    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
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #7
    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

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • kuastoi
    kuastoi Member Posts: 63
    #8
    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

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