Relationship of familial factors to carcinoma of the colon.

Abstract

Two siblings, in each of two families, contracted carcinoma of the colon when they were less than 30 years of age. In view of the fact that, anually, in Finland, only five or six persons contract carcinoma of the colon when they are less than 30 years old, the incidence cannot be considered a mere coincidence. Also, a family susceptible to carcinoma of the colon has been described in this report, in which all children of a mother who died of cancer of the colon when she was 42 years old contracted carcinoma. Furthermore, a member of the third generation contracted the disease at an age which was less than 30 years and the oldest member of the family was only 31 years.