Do we know how many cancer patients have a family history of cancer?
OBJECTIVE
It has been estimated that approximately 5-10% of the general population have a family history that is indicative of hereditary cancer, predominately breast and colorectal. However, it is not precisely known how many patients have positive family history of cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine how many cancer patients have positive family history of cancer.


METHODS
Patients were interviewed during the first visit to Daily Chemotherapy Hospital (DCH) of the Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade. Data about patient cancer type and cancer types among family members were recorded in the hospital chart and analyzed.


RESULTS
During an 8-month period, 677 newly diagnosed cancer patients with 9 cancer types were referred to DCH for chemotherapy. Positive family history (at least one first degree relative) for any cancer type was recorded in 163 (24.1%) patients and in 47 (6.9%) patients for the same cancer type. The highest percentage of the positive family history for the same type of cancer showed patients with breast cancer (9.9%), followed by colorectal (7.2%) and brain tumors (6.25%).


CONCLUSIONS
The overall incidence of positive family cancer history was 31.0% and was higher than expected. Cancer can be more disturbing for persons who already had experience with this disease in a close family member. Those patients need special attention with more intensive and carefully preplanned psychological support.
Andjelic-Dekic
N
N
Daily Chemotherapy Hospital, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia. natasadekic@gmail.com
Tomasevic
Z
Z
Milosevic
S
S
Kolarevic
D
D
Jelic
S
S
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D010375:Pedigree; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055771:Serbia / Q000453:epidemiology
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents