Familial ovarian cancer syndromes

Three familial ovarian cancer syndromes are recognised:

• ovarian cancer only
• familial predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer - associated with the BRCA1 locus on chromosome 17q
• Lynch syndrome - familial predisposition to ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, and colonic cancer without polyposis

All show an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance.

One close relative affected - mother, sister - is associated with a threefold increased risk of ovarian cancer, corresponding to a 2.5% risk of death from ovarian cancer by the age of 70 years; for two or more affected close relatives, the lifetime risk may be 30 - 40%.