Re: Are brain tumors hereditary?

Posted By CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS on November 11, 1998 at 18:34:03:

In Reply to: Are brain tumors hereditary? posted by Wendy on November 11, 1998 at 14:11:16:






Five years ago, my sister, who is 47, had a benign brain tumor that was
successfully surgically removed. Just a month ago, she was diagnosed
with another brain tumor that is of a totally different type, in a place
that cannot have surgery. She'll undergo radiation and then chemotherapy.
The kicker is that just yesterday, my father, who is 72, and is just
recovering from bypass surgery, was diagnosed also with a brain tumor.
His is in one ventrical and can be surgically removed. They both are on
their way, even as I type, to the Mayo Clinic for treatment. As
you can imagine, our whole family is devistated. The doctors told my sister
that her second tumor, of a totally different type and place, is very
unusual. But now, with my father also having one, we're all wondering if
there could be a genetic link. I also wonder if I'm at risk of developing
one. Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Dear Wendy"
I am sorry to hear about your sister's and father's brain tumor.  Yes there are some tumors that are inherited.  Most of the time we do not know if a tumor is inherited.  Some are more common in older age and although they are found in families they are not inherited.  There are some diseases like Neurofibromatosis I that predisposes an individual to brain tumors of a particular type.  There are some genes that predispose an individual to brain tumors and other tumors.  There are some tumors that have spread to the brain that may or may not be inherited, such as breast cancer will spread to the brain but although breast cancer can be inherited, the spread is not.  This is an active area of research and the web site that Jason provided is a good place to start.  Not knowing what type of tumor your father and sister have I can not tell you if it is inherited or not.
I hope for the best for your sister and father.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS

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