The development of genetic testing has given patients with familial endocrine diseases the opportunity to be identified earlier in life. The importance of this technological advancement cannot be underestimated, as some of these heritable diseases have significant potential for malignancy. This article focuses on the identification and surgical management of familial endocrinopathies of the thy...

When a serious genetic disorder is diagnosed in the family, an immediate question arises: are other family members at risk? Ethical issues arise when DNA technology allows testing of children for a condition which is unlikely to have significant morbidity until later life. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) exemplifies this dilemma. A rational approach to screening requires both an understand...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is mostly due to a series of genetic alterations that are being greatly under the influence of the environmental factors. These changes, mutational or epigenetic modifications at transcriptional forefront and/or post-transcriptional effects via miRNAs, include inactivation and the conversion of proto-oncogene to oncogenes, and/or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (T...

Mutations in the WNT-pathway regulator ADENOMATOUS POLYPOSIS COLI (APC) promote aberrant activation of the WNT pathway that is responsible for APC-associated diseases such as Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP) and 85% of spontaneous colorectal cancers (CRC). FAP is characterized by multiple intestinal adenomas, which inexorably result in CRC. Surprisingly, given their common occurrence, there...

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is a dominantly inherited condition caused by germline mutation of the APC gene resulting in formation of numerous large bowel adenomas in late childhood or adolescence. Unless these are removed, colorectal cancer inevitably develops. Prophylactic surgical treatment is required to prevent this. In surgical decision making, considerations should include genot...

Desmoids are rare, benign fibromatous lesions, which can arise in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a disorder caused by germline adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene mutation. This study investigated the risk of desmoids in FAP, the relation between specific APC gene mutations and desmoid formation, and the clinical characteristics ofFAP patients with desmoids. Eighty three ...

When a serious genetic disorder is diagnosed in the family, an immediate question arises: are other family members at risk? Ethical issues arise when DNA technology allows testing of children for a condition which is unlikely to have significant morbidity until later life. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) exemplifies this dilemma. A rational approach to screening requires both an understand...

OBJECTIVES To improve the prognosis of patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) by early diagnosis and prophylactic treatment through a coordinated FAP register. DESIGN The establishment and descriptive analysis of the prospective database of the FAP registry. SETTING University surgical unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital Ragama, Sri Lanka. PATIENTS Probands were identified b...