title: Associations between family history of colorectal cancer and genetic alterations in tumors.
abstract: A family history of colorectal cancer has been consistently associated with an increased risk of developing colon cancer. However, there is limited information on the association between family history of colorectal cancer and genetic alterations that occur in colon tumors. In this study, we evaluate the association among genetic alterations of Ki-ras and p53, microsatellite instability and having a family history of colorectal cancer in a study of incident colon cancer cases (n = 1993) and population-based controls (n = 2,410). Although there was a slight nonsignificant increase in risk of having an unstable tumor among those with a family history of colorectal cancer, this increase in risk disappeared after excluding those people with a known mutation in either of the mismatch repair genes hMLH1 or hMSH2. A family history of colorectal cancer was not associated with Ki-ras mutations overall, although those with a G to T mutation of the second base of codon 12 were more likely to have a family history of colorectal cancer than were those without this specific type of Ki-ras mutation. Cases with p53 mutations were less likely to have a family history of colorectal cancer than were cases without a p53 mutation. We believe that, given the general lack of association between having a family history of colorectal cancer and genetic alterations in tumors, these alterations are acquired through disease pathways that involve exposure from diet, lifestyle or other environmental factors.
authors.affiliation: Health Research Center, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. mslatter@hrc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Slattery
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schaffer
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Wade
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Samowitz
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020137:Base Pair Mismatch; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000032:analysis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005192:Family Health; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D011905:Genes, ras / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D008875:Middle Aged; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein; D009154:Mutation; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C501486:MLH1 protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C497172:MSH2 protein, human; D000070957:MutL Protein Homolog 1; D051718:MutS Homolog 2 Protein