My grandmother died of colon cancer. My question is whether it was familial? my mom was second child to her. First child was a boy.

Question

Annapurna, majority of the colo-rectal cancers are sporadic but there are certain criteria which should raise red flags regarding it being familial. 1. Age at which your grandmother was diagnosed? younger the age, more the chances of it being familial 2. Any other family member, who has suffered from cancer? multiple family members suffering from the same cancer, increases the risk. There are no screening guidelines in india but your mother should consult a doctor if she develops any symptoms. No harm in getting one check colonoscopy done.

Rohan Khandelwal · Accepted Answer

Annapurna, majority of the colo-rectal cancers are sporadic but there are certain criteria which should raise red flags regarding it being familial. 1. Age at which your grandmother was diagnosed? younger the age, more the chances of it being familial 2. Any other family member, who has suffered from cancer? multiple family members suffering from the same cancer, increases the risk. There are no screening guidelines in india but your mother should consult a doctor if she develops any symptoms. No harm in getting one check colonoscopy done.

Rajay Kumar · Answer

It can be familial but mostly not in your case.