PERSPECTIVES IN CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY

Although 30% of individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer (CRC) report a family history of the disease, only 5% to 6% carry germline mutations in genes associated with known hereditary cancer syndromes. The evaluation and management of families affected with CRC can be complicated by variability in disease phenotypes and limited sensitivity of genetic tests. In this review, we examine what is currently known about familial CRC and what we have yet to learn, and explore how novel genomic approaches might be used to identify additional genetic and epigenetic factors implicated in heritable risk for cancer.