Risk for Hereditary Neoplastic Syndromes in Women with Mismatch Repair-Proficient Endometrial Cancer

Genes (Basel). 2023 Oct 26;14(11):1999. doi: 10.3390/genes14111999.

Abstract

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a prevalent malignancy in women, and those who are proficient in the DNA mismatch repair (pMMR) pathway may have a family history (FH) that meets the criteria for a hereditary neoplastic condition (HNS). This study aimed to estimate the risk of HNS in women with pMMR endometrial tumors by analyzing their FH. To achieve this, we collaborated with a primary study and collected FH information by telephone. The final sample comprised 42 women who responded to the Primary Screening Questionnaire. Their family pedigrees were drawn and categorized according to internationally standardized criteria for the risk of HNS. Results showed that 26 women (61%) were found to be at risk for HNS, with Bethesda criteria being met by 23%, Amsterdam criteria by 15%, and 4% met the attenuated familial adenomatous polyposis criteria. Our results emphasize the importance of FH and the need to encourage healthcare professionals to collect and document FH more frequently, even if it is self-reported. By identifying individuals with HNS, we can improve their outcomes and reduce the burden of cancer in families with a predisposition to cancer.

Keywords: family history; lineage; patterns of inheritance; risk; uterine neoplasms.

MeSH terms

  • Adenomatous Polyposis Coli*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis* / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms, Hereditary Nonpolyposis* / pathology
  • DNA Mismatch Repair / genetics
  • Endometrial Neoplasms* / diagnosis
  • Female
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans