A diagnosis of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC) is considered when there are multiple cases of breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer on the same side of the family. The chance that a family has HBOC increases in any of these situations:
The Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS) is a hereditary cancer predisposition syndrome first reported in 1969 by Drs. Frederick Li and Joseph Fraumeni from the National Cancer Institute. What caught their attention was the wide range of cancers found in affected families, the inherited higher risk of developing cancer across several generations, and the relatively early age of the cancer diagnosis with nearly half of affected individuals having a cancer diagnosis before age 30.
Cowden syndrome (CS) is part of the PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, a group of disorders caused by a change (mutation) in the PTEN gene. Hamartomas are benign, meaning noncancerous, tumor-like growths. Other clinical syndromes that are part of the PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome are Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome (BRR; diagnosed in children), Proteus syndrome, and Proteus-like syndrome.
Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a hereditary condition characterized by progressive neurologic problems that lead to difficulty walking and an increased risk of developing various types of cancer. Signs of A-T often develop in childhood. Children with A-T may begin staggering and appear unsteady (called ataxia) shortly after learning to walk. Most people with A-T will eventually need to use a wheelchair.
Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is a condition associated with recurrent pancreatitis and an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Recurrent pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas that keeps coming back over time.
