are some brain cancers inherited
Credit: Image credit: Anna Lasorella and Antonio Iavarone/Columbia University Medical Center. Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have discovered that some cases of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer, are caused by the fusion of two adjacent genes. In addition to genetic mutations, some brain tumors seem to “cluster” within families. Clustering is usually due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors, which can make it difficult to precisely delineate the causes of such tumors and the specific genes involved. At least 20 percent of these advanced brain cancers may be attributable to the newly discovered genetic risks, according to UCSF scientists led by genetic epidemiologists Margaret Wrensch, PhD, Jeffrey Chang, MD, PhD, and John Wiencke, PhD. 2 Gene Defects Show Up in a Majority of Brain Tumors. For the study, researchers tested 790 human glioblastoma brain tumors for defects in the NFKBIA gene and for abnormalities in a related, previously known gene that codes for epidermal growth factor receptor, or EGFR. Inheriting a copy of one of the high-risk or low-risk genetic variants appears to increase or decrease risk for glioma by roughly 50 percent, according to the UCSF and Mayo Clinic results. Brain cancers are not common, although they account for a disproportionate number of years of life lost due to cancer. UCSF scientists have discovered commonly inherited genetic risks for the deadliest types of brain tumors, marking the first time such a link has been definitively established. Most cases of breast cancer are not caused by inherited genetic factors. These cancers are associated with somatic mutations in breast cells that are acquired during a person's lifetime, and they do not cluster in families. In hereditary breast cancer, the way that cancer risk is inherited depends on the gene involved. Are Brain Tumors Hereditary? Genetic susceptibility to brain tumors is a difficult issue to sort out. About 5% of brain tumors may be linked to genetic factors, including the following conditions: Li-Fraumeni syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, neurofibromatosis, Turcot syndrome, nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and von Hippel-Lindau disease. Related to Brain Cancer. Genetic Defect at Work in Deadly Brain Tumors. Dec. 22, 2010 -- Scientists say they’ve discovered a genetic defect that may contribute to the development of as many as one in four cases of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor. Researchers have discovered that some cases of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer, are caused by the fusion of two adjacent genes. The study also found that drugs that target the protein produced by this genetic aberration can dramatically slow the growth of glioblastomas in mice.
Yes, it is inherited.