The vast majority of colon cancers develop in people who have no family history of the disease. However, about five to ten percent of colorectal cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation.
The two major subtypes of hereditary colon cancer are called Lynch Syndrome also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). People with FAP have hundreds, or even thousands, of polyps that coat the inside of their colon. Because of this, without treatment, all patients with FAP will go on to develop colon cancer.
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That’s why everyone with the FAP genetic mutation – which is detected by a blood test – should have their colon removed by the age of 20, advises Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center. Even after the colon is removed, these patients will still need screening for polyps that can also form higher in the intestinal tract.
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