Inherited Gastrointestinal Cancer in the New Era of Genetic Testing

Gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopists are usually at the front line in the tissue diagnosis of malignancies involving the GI tract. Based on careful evaluation of family history and often early onset of these cancers, an inherited predilection may be suspected. In the modern age of personalized or precision medicine, the cancer tissue itself is often tested for somatic genetic mutations that may be a pathway for specific new oncology therapies. When inherited syndromes are a concern, with all body cells affected, germline genetic analysis can be carried out usually using blood or cheek mucosa cells to identify genetic mutations passed from one generation to the next.
Source: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics of North America - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Tags: Foreword Source Type: research