Family history and genetics
A family history means having one or more blood relatives who have, or have had, endometrial cancer or another cancer or syndrome known to be associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
Having a family history of endometrial cancer, or a family history of colorectal cancer in families with Lynch syndrome, is associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
Affected relatives could be on either the father’s or mother’s side of the family.
For some women, the fact that other members of the family may have one or more of these cancers may be due to chance. However, some women with a family history may have inherited a faulty gene that increases the risk of cancer. Sometimes there is a fault, or mutation, in one copy of a gene. This can stop the gene from working properly and can lead to an increased risk of endometrial cancer.
It may be appropriate for some women who have a strong family history to be referred to a family cancer clinic. Family cancer clinics can help assess risk, provide advice about genetic testing, and recommend an individualised management plan.
For more information on the Cancer Australia website, please visit Family Cancer Clinics.