In hereditary colon cancer, knowledge is power! 

During the month of March, Myriad Genetics is demonstrating a strong commitment to preventing hereditary colon cancer as part of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.  Colon cancer is third most commonly diagnosed cancer in both men and women in the United States and kills one person every 10 minutes. More than 140,000 new cases of colon cancer are expected to be diagnosed this year alone. According to the American Cancer Society, one in 22 men and one in 24 women will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in their lifetime. It is estimated that five to 10 percent of all colon cancers are caused by an inherited genetic mutation that is passed on from parent to child.

“Myriad has been a pioneer in the field of hereditary cancer risk assessment for colon cancer for more than 20 years, and that commitment continues today,” said Johnathan Lancaster, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, Myriad Genetics, Inc.  “We believe that knowledge is power, and for many patients with colon cancer, genetic testing can make a real difference to them and to the lives of their family members.”

“If you have a family history of colon, ovarian, and/or uterine/endometrial cancer, it could be caused by a hereditary cancer syndrome,” said Sapna Syngal, M.D., director of research at the Center for Cancer Genetics and Prevention at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.  “And if you have colon cancer and were diagnosed before 50 years of age, you should definitely pursue discussions about genetic testing.”

To learn more about genetic testing for hereditary colon cancer, click here: https://myriad.com/products-services/hereditary-cancers/myrisk-hereditary-cancer/

To find out if you may be appropriate for hereditary cancer testing head over to this quiz: https://www.hereditarycancerquiz.com/cca

Click below to view an important message about genetic testing as it pertains to hereditary colorectal cancer: