Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: What Are They?

Childhood cancer is rare. About 10 to 15 percent of children diagnosed with cancer have an increased risk of developing cancer due to identifiable genetic factors. A person with a mutation (change) in their genetic material that increases their risk of cancer has a cancer predisposition syndrome. Not all children with such a syndrome will develop cancer.

Some cancer predisposition syndromes are hereditary. This means they might be passed down from parent to child. Some children inherit the syndrome from their parent(s). Others are the first in their families to acquire the syndrome. They can then pass it down to future children. Some cancer predisposition syndromes affect only the child, but cannot be passed down to future generations.

Many cancer predisposition syndromes don't show any physical signs other than the development of cancer. If they do show signs, they may be subtle. Just because a child has been healthy prior to developing cancer does not mean they do not have a cancer predisposition syndrome. Genetic testing may be the only way to know.