Is ovarian clear cell cancer hereditary?

Among various types of cancer, one is called ovarian cancer, which is a cancer unique to women. This includes ovarian clear cell carcinoma, which is a stromal tumor. It is reported that among all ovarian cancers, ovarian clear cell carcinoma accounts for about 6%, so this disease is not common. This cancer is usually closely related to human salivary glands and pancreas. So is this ovarian cancer hereditary?

Is ovarian clear cell cancer hereditary?

The answer to this question is yes.

Like most hereditary tumors, hereditary ovarian cancer is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, but reduced penetrance and variable expression are common. For example, the probability of a first-degree relative inheriting a mutated gene is 50%, and the risk of developing a tumor is usually less than 50%.

First-degree relatives, including parents, siblings, and children, have a 50% genetic risk;

Second-degree relatives include grandparents, grandparents and grandchildren, parents' brothers and sisters, and brothers and sisters' children, with a 25% genetic risk;

Third-degree relatives, including great-grandparents, great-grandchildren, grandparents' siblings, and children of parents' mutant siblings, have a 12.5% ​​genetic risk.

Therefore, if a first-degree relative has hereditary ovarian cancer or is diagnosed as a BRCA1/2 mutation carrier through genetic testing, there is a 50% chance that the individual is also a BRCA1/2 mutation carrier, and the lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is usually less than 50%. And so on.

So what are the factors that determine whether or not the disease occurs?

Generally speaking, the factors that determine the incidence of tumors include genetic factors and environmental factors (such as lifestyle, pollution and injury, etc.). This involves a famous tumor genetics theory, Knudson's two-hit theory, which states that in hereditary tumors, germ cells already carry an allele mutation.

After birth, another somatic allele mutation is required to form a tumor. Therefore, hereditary tumors usually occur earlier. Sporadic tumors require two somatic allele mutations to form a tumor, so they occur later.

Now that we understand the general risk of disease mentioned above, let’s discuss the issue of genetic testing. Who needs to do BRCA1/2 mutation gene testing?

1. All patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, and primary peritoneal cancer;

2. Patients with triple-negative breast cancer whose onset age is ≤ 60 years old;

3. Male breast cancer patients;

4. First- or second-degree relatives have ovarian epithelial cancer/fallopian tube cancer/primary peritoneal cancer/triple-negative breast cancer with an onset age of ≤60 years/male breast cancer;

5. One third-degree relative has breast cancer and/or epithelial ovarian cancer/fallopian tube cancer/primary peritoneal cancer, and ≥2 relatives on the same side of the father's (or mother's) side have breast cancer (at least one with an onset age of ≤50 years) and/or epithelial ovarian cancer/fallopian tube cancer/primary peritoneal cancer;

6. A blood relative is a carrier of BRCA1/2 gene mutation;

7. Breast cancer patients who meet one or more of the following conditions:

Age of onset ≤ 45 years; Age of onset ≤ 50 years, and at least one close relative has breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥ 7) of any age;

A single individual has ≥2 primary breast cancers (bilateral tumors or at least 2 clearly separate tumors on the same side diagnosed simultaneously or at different times), and the age of first onset is ≤50 years old; there is no limit on the age of onset, and at least 2 close relatives are patients with breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥7) of any age;

The patients can be of any age of onset and have at least one close relative with ovarian cancer/fallopian tube cancer/primary peritoneal cancer or breast cancer diagnosed at ≤50 years old; the patients can be of any age of onset and have one close relative with male breast cancer; the patients are of German Jewish descent.

8. Patients with high-grade prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥7) or pancreatic cancer, regardless of age of onset, with at least one family member with ovarian cancer (diagnosed at any age) or breast cancer diagnosed at ≤50 years old, or two relatives with breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or prostate cancer (Gleason score ≥7) (diagnosed at any age).