Prevalence of germline pathogenic variants in 22 cancer susceptibility genes in Swedish pediatric cancer patients.

Up to 10% of pediatric cancer patients harbor pathogenic germline variants in one or more cancer susceptibility genes. A recent study from the US reported pathogenic variants in 22 out of 60 analyzed autosomal dominant cancer susceptibility genes, implicating 8.5% of pediatric cancer patients.

Increased Cancer Risk in Families with Pediatric Cancer Is Associated with Gender, Age, Diagnosis, and Degree of Relation to the Child.

Background: Studies of cancer risk among relatives of children with cancer beyond parents and siblings are limited. We have investigated the cancer risk up to the third degree of relation in families with pediatric cancer to reveal patterns of inheritance.

Methods: A single-center cohort of 757 patients with pediatric cancer was linked to the Swedish National Population Register, resulting in 16,137 relatives up to the third degree of relation.

Predominance of girls with cancer in families with multiple childhood cancer cases.

Background: Recent studies indicate that one of four childhood cancers can be attributed to hereditary genetic abnormalities.

Methods: The Lund Childhood Cancer Genetic study includes newly diagnosed childhood cancer patients as well as childhood cancer survivors visiting the Department of Pediatrics or the Late Effect Clinic at Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. Questionnaires regarding family history of cancer and blood samples were provided.