According to the Morning News, three Ningbo father and son were diagnosed with the same type of cancer recently, attracting media attention.
Lao Zhang’s family’s nightmare began five years ago: that year, he was diagnosed with intestinal cancer; after that, his second son had a colonoscopy and found early cancerous lesions; the third son went to the doctor because of bleeding in his stool and was also diagnosed with intestinal cancer...
Father and son were diagnosed with intestinal cancer one after another.
Lao Zhang is 70 years old this year. Five years ago, his family sent him to a local health center for treatment because of sudden weight loss and pale complexion. At that time, he only thought that the symptoms were caused by fatigue, so he did not go into details. I gave him some traditional Chinese medicine to nourish blood and qi and let him go home to recuperate on his own. But after a month or two, Lao Zhang's symptoms not only did not ease, but gradually worsened. Once, he became dizzy and fell while going to the toilet, almost causing an accident. Therefore, the family did not dare to neglect and rushed Lao Zhang to the hospital. The CT results showed that Lao Zhang had a mass on his colon, which was highly suspected to be a malignant tumor of the colon. Further colonoscopy confirmed that Lao Zhang had colon cancer. cancer. After careful preoperative planning, the operation was carried out as scheduled. After the operation, Lao Zhang recovered smoothly, his face began to look rosy, and his weight gradually increased. Before leaving the hospital, the doctor learned that Lao Zhang had four sons, none of whom had ever had a gastrointestinal endoscopy, and suggested they get checked as soon as possible. The second son listened to the advice and made an appointment for a colonoscopy for himself shortly after his father was discharged from the hospital. Unexpectedly, without warning, a huge polyp in his colon was discovered during the examination. Based on the microscopic appearance of the polyp, it is considered that this "polyp" has become cancerous. Not long after, the third son, who was only in his early 30s, also developed the same symptoms as his father, and he rushed to the hospital for treatment. Sure enough, he was also diagnosed with bowel cancer.
The average age of onset of this genetic disease is 44 years old.
Colon cancer has struck three members of the family one after another, which is a big blow to Lao Zhang. The symptoms of Lao Zhang's family made doctors highly suspect that it might be Lynch syndrome. At his suggestion, Lao Zhang and his two sons underwent genetic testing, and the results confirmed the speculation. The doctor explained that Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, is an autosomal dominant syndrome caused by a defect in the mismatch repair gene and is prone to colorectal cancer and other malignant tumors. How hereditary is this disease? "In this inheritance model, carrying only one gene mutation may increase the risk of developing the disease. If one person in a couple has a mutation, the probability of each member of the offspring carrying the mutation is 50%. “Most people with Lynch syndrome inherit it from their parents. Among them, it is most closely associated with colorectal cancer. The lifetime risk of mutation carriers is as high as 82%, and the average age of onset is 44 years old. In addition, the risk of endometrial cancer in women is about 60%, with an average age of onset of about 50 years old; the risk of gastric cancer is about 13%, with an average age of onset of 56 years.
These people please screen yourself regularly
Is this fate unbreakable? Not so. Lynch syndrome is preventable and treatable. Early intervention can prevent the next generation from repeating the tragedy of the previous generation. Doctors remind that if you have been diagnosed with Lynch syndrome or have immediate family members with colorectal cancer or reproductive system tumors, it is recommended that patients and family members undergo regular screening - colorectal cancer screening: Lin who carries MLH1 or MSH2 gene mutations Patients with odd syndrome should start colonoscopy at the age of 20 to 25. If a family member has cancer before the age of 25, the initial age for screening should be 2 to 5 years earlier; and examinations should be performed every 1 to 2 years. Gastric cancer screening: It is recommended that patients undergo gastroscopy every 3 to 5 years starting from the age of 30 to 35. Endometrial cancer screening: For those carrying genetic mutations starting from the age of 30-35, it is recommended to conduct endometrial biopsy every 1 to 2 years, perform regular ultrasound examination of the bilateral adnexal area of the uterus and serum CA125 test, pay special attention to abnormal uterus Bleeding. Preventive hysterectomy and bilateral ovarian and fallopian tube removal may be considered for women who carry genetic mutations and have no desire to have children.
