An incident of familial cancer. Including 3 cases of osteogenic sarcoma

Abstract

Familial cancer is manifested by the early development of histologically different malignancies in multiple members of a family at different anatomical sites. Two or more generations must be involved. A family is presented in which 6 of 15 members, over 3 generations, developed 7 malignancies, of which 5 were distinctly different. Among these, osteogenic sarcomas appeared in successive generations. The explanation for this phenomenon may lie in hereditary susceptibility to living or nonliving carcinogens. An awareness of this entity will aid in early detection of malignancy in those affected and continued close observation of all members of a cancer family. Copyright © 1970 American Cancer Society