Hereditary gynecologic cancer.

Abstract

It is estimated that approximately 1.3 million new cases of cancer will occur in the United States in 1997 (785,800 males, 596,600 females) [1]. Given a conservative estimate that 5% of these cases are hereditary, at least 65,000 patients will merit DNA testing annually. Using this same 5% estimate, then of the 181,600 cases of carcinoma of the breast and the 26,800 cases of carcinoma of the ovary that will occur in the United States during this same year, approximately 9080 patients with breast cancer and 1340 patients with ovarian carcinoma will fit a hereditary etiology. Barring new germline mutations, this means that each individual will be a member of a cancer-prone family. When viewed as annual incidence rates of hereditary cancer, it is clear that the prevalence of hereditary breast and ovarian carcinoma in the United States will truly be enormous. Similar calculations can be made for virtually all forms of cancer that will strike women.