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CANCER & TREATMENTS SUPPORT & SURVIVORSHIP PREVENTION & RISK ASSESSMENT CLINICAL TRIALS & RESEARCH LIVING WITH CANCER | |
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Home > Prevention & Risk Assessment > Genetics > Prostate Cancer Genetics Project > Spring, 2004 Newsletter Where is Your Family From?Many American families have ancestors from different places, such as Germany, England, India, China, Mexico, or Africa. Participants in the Prostate Cancer Genetics Project (PCGP) will be receiving a survey asking questions about family background. The purpose of this questionnaire is to determine where your family originated. When answering this questionnaire, please provide as much information as you can about where your mother’s and father’s families came from. Why is it important for researchers to know where your family came from? Some genetic conditions occur more commonly in certain populations, so researchers need to know the ethnic background of study participants in order to account for these differences. For example, cystic fibrosis, a respiratory disease, occurs more commonly in people of European ancestry whereas sickle cell anemia, a blood disorder, occurs more commonly in people of African ancestry. The questionnaire will also ask if you have Jewish ancestry in your family. We are specifically interested in Jewish ancestry because the PCGP will be investigating the association of specific gene alterations found more commonly in the Jewish population and prostate cancer risk. Two genes that may be studied are called breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and breast cancer 2 (BRCA2). Alterations in these genes are associated with an increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Women with alterations in these genes have a 50-80% risk for breast cancer and up to a 40% risk for ovarian cancer. While alterations in these genes are associated with cancers that predominantly affect women, alterations in these genes can be inherited equally by both men and women. Some studies have suggested that alterations in these genes may also be associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer. Only about 1/800 (<1%) of individuals carry an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. However, three specific genetic alterations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene have been found to occur more frequently in the Jewish population. These alterations are believed to have occurred several centuries ago in a few individuals in this population, and they have continued to be passed down through subsequent generations. Now approximately 2.5% of individuals of Jewish ancestry carry an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. The PCGP greatly appreciates your help with this new step in this important research. |
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Family Updates:Please help us update your family's status. Since you last assisted us in enrolling family members, has anyone in your immediate family:
If so, we would like to discuss these changes in family status with you. This information is valuable for us to know. Please contact us by phone 800-723-9170 or email pcgp-project@med.umich.edu See Also:
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center © 2008 Regents of the University of Michigan / Developed & maintained by: Public Relations & Marketing Communications. Contact Us or UMHS. The information presented is not a tool for self diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. |
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