This book provides information on a wide variety of issues ranging from genetics to clinical description of the syndromes, genetic testing and counseling, and clinical management including surveillance, surgical and prophylactic interventions, and chemoprevention. Moreover, current hot issues, such as the identification of novel causal genes and the challenges we face, and the relevance of cancer risk modifiers, both genetic and environmental, are also discussed. This reference book is great for geneticists, oncologists, genetic counselors, researchers, clinicians, surgeons and nurses dedicated to, or interested in, hereditary cancer. The best and most recognized experts in the field have contributed to this project, guaranteeing updated information, accuracy and the discussion of topical issues.

Genetic susceptibility refers to how variations in a person’s genes increase or decrease his or her susceptibility to environmental factors, such as chemicals, radiation and lifestyle (diet and smoking). This volume will explore the latest findings in the area of genetic susceptibility to gastrointestinal cancers, focusing on molecular epidemiology, DNA repair, and gene-environment interactions to identify factors that affect the incidence of GI cancers. Topics will include germline susceptibility, including Mendelian patterns of inheritance and gene-environment interactions that lead to cancer etiology.

Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the US and the third most recently linked to cancer deaths. The national annual incidence rate of colorectal cancer is approximately 148,000+, striking slightly more females than males. The lifetime risk of colorectal cancer is 5-6%, however patients with a familial risk (with two or more first or second degree relatives) make up 20% of the patients. Persons who carry genetic mutations linked to hereditary colorectal cancer are the most likely to develop the disease.

It has been recognized for almost 200 years that certain families seem to inherit cancer. It is only in the past decade, however, that molecular genetics and epidemiology have combined to define the role of inheritance in cancer more clearly, and to identify some of the genes involved. The causative genes can be tracked through cancer-prone families via genetic linkage and positional cloning. Several of the genes discovered have subsequently been proved to play critical roles in normal growth and development. There are also implications for the families themselves in terms of genetic testing with its attendant dilemmas, if it is not clear that useful action will result. The chapters in The Genetics of Cancer illustrate what has already been achieved and take a critical look at the future directions of this research and its potential clinical applications.

This is an overview of the issues involved in prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer providing up-to-date, practical advice for clinicians. Possible management strategies for those at risk are provided, taking into account the biological principles of colorectal cancer development, epidemiological data and emerging genetic information, as well as social and environmental factors.

In CT Colonography, Perry Pickhardt and David Kim present techniques for quicker evaluation and diagnosis of colon cancer through the pioneering, specialty-changing imaging technique of virtual colonoscopy (VC). This combination of sophisticated X-rays and CT scans of the abdomen offers patients an alternative to colonoscopy that is cost effective and reduces the need for unnecessary polyp removal. Abundantly illustrated in full color, this pioneering book describes CT colonography from pathogenesis, staging and treatment through indications, technique, and interpretation for the most common pathologies. Covers principles, techniques, and interpretations for the most common pathologies in a logical, practical organization. Presents tips from the authors on setting up a VC practice to provide a personal, instructive guide. Provides over 1000 full-color, high-resolution anatomic images throughout for the clearest, most accurate picture of colorectal cancer, its natural history, and its diagnosis by VC. Focuses on images, with the text serving as context for the proper use and understanding of VC.

Weaving together family history, genetic discovery, and scenes from her life, Ami McKay tells the compelling, true-science story of her own family's unsettling legacy of hereditary cancer while exploring the challenges that come from carrying the mutation that not only killed many people you loved, but might also kill you. The story of Ami McKay's connection to a genetic disorder called Lynch syndrome begins over seventy years before she was born and long before scientists discovered DNA. In 1895 her great-great aunt, Pauline Gross, a seamstress in Ann Arbor, Michigan, confided to a pathology professor at the local university that she expected to die young, like so many others in her family. Rather than dismiss her fears, the pathologist chose to enlist Pauline in the careful tracking of those in her family tree who had died of cancer. Pauline's premonition proved true--she died at 46--but because of her efforts, her family (who the pathologist dubbed 'Family G') would become the longest and most detailed cancer genealogy ever studied in the world. A century after Pauline's confession, researchers would identify the genetic mutation responsible for the family's woes. Now known as Lynch syndrome, the genetic condition predisposes its carriers to several types of cancer, including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and pancreatic. In 2001, as a young mother with two sons and a keen interest in survival, Ami McKay was among the first to be tested for Lynch syndrome. She had a feeling she'd test positive: her mother's side of the family was riddled with early deaths and her own mother was being treated for the disease. When the test proved her fears true, she began living in "an unsettling state between wellness and cancer," and she's been there ever since. Intimate, candid, and probing, her genetic memoir tells a fascinating story, teasing out the many ways to live with the hand you are dealt.