Familial risk and colorectal cancer

The topic of familial risk of colon cancer includes the well-known colon cancer syndromes and the much more commonly observed familial occurrence of this malignancy. The genes that give rise to the syndromes have been identified and can be used to diagnose gene carriers in affected families. The degree of familial risk in the more common familial cases can be stratified by clinical criteria. Screening strategies have been suggested based on this familial risk.