Genetics clinic

Hi, after a right hemicolectomy in 2023 I was sent a family history form to fill in. Subsequently I was seen at a genetic clinic. I told them my brother has myeloma, neither of our parents had cancer, though two of my mother's siblings did and my daughter has had some polyps removed. The advice was that we probably don't have a genetic link, but that to be on the safe side my son and my daughter should have a colonoscopy (just once). She had already had one, while he keeps making excuses not to. 

Personally I don't see how a single colonoscopy would help unless there's already cancer there, but I think the general idea is that if there's been a lot of cancer in your family they can check out immediate family members before any symptoms appear, and if they do find cancer they can treat it at an early stage.

So before your dad gets his call it might be a good idea to make a list of any relatives who have or had cancer. The form I had was very detailed and took ages to complete, then my son had to drive me a long way to the clinic, trouble finding somewhere to park, etc, etc, and we thought it could easily have been done with a phone call.

Hope this helps and best wishes to your dad.  xx

Rarely, bowel cancer is caused by a gene that runs in families. I know my biopsies were tested for the gene. If positive, they would want to warn family members to get screened regularly.

However even if that particular faulty gene isn’t found, if more than one family member has it at a relatively young age, then that’s something they also look out for. My brother had bowel polyp issues in his mid 50s, and now that I also have bowel cancer we’ve been advised that our children should all ask for screening at the age of 50. (A while off yet as my oldest is 32 and my brothers youngest is 26.)

Hi, thanks it does.

Dad's father and brother both had, and subsequently died, of stomach cancer.

My mother's mother had ovarian.

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