title: Studying cancer families to identify kidney cancer genes.
abstract: We studied families with multiple members affected with renal cancer to delineate clinically distinct forms of inherited renal cancer, and to identify and characterize the genes responsible for these disorders. Today, cancer geneticists recognize seven clinically distinct, inherited forms of epithelial renal cancer; genes responsible for five inherited predispositions have been found. Positional cloning efforts for one kidney cancer gene are nearing completion. These discoveries will provide diagnostic tests for these diseases, a foundation for studies of the relationship between genotype and phenotype, and a basis for studies of the pathophysiology of the diverse types of epithelial renal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunobiology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702, USA. zbarb@mail.ncifcrf.gov
authors.forename: Berton
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zbar
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klausner
authors.forename: W Marston
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Linehan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D009386:Neoplastic Syndromes, Hereditary / Q000235:genetics*; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype