RESUMEN: La mayoría de los casos de cáncer son esporádicos, entre un 20-30% presentan agregación familiar, mientras que solo el 5 -10% son de carácter hereditario. Las familias e individuos en los que se sospecha que padecen cáncer hereditario deben someterse a un proceso de asesoramiento genético, que es de gran importancia para la prevención y detección temprana de tumores malignos. Los síndromes más frecuentes de cán-cer hereditario son el síndrome de mama-ovario hereditario, la poliposis adenomatosa familiar y el síndrome de Lynch. El diagnóstico genético facilita realizar una estimación de los riesgos de desarrollar diferentes cánceres, permitiendo tomar decisiones de vigilancia y preventivas que reducen estos riesgos. El objetivo final es reducir la mortalidad por cáncer mediante el diagnóstico precoz y la prevención.PALABRAS CLAVE: BRCA1; BRCA2; cáncer colorrectal; cáncer de endometrio; cáncer hereditario; cáncer de mama; cáncer de ovario; consejo genético; genes reparadores; síndrome de Lynch.ABSTRACT: Most cases of cancer are sporadic, whereas 5-10% are hereditary and about 20-30% of cancers tend to cluster in families. Families and individuals who are suspected of suffering from hereditary cancer need to undergo a process known as genetic counseling, which is of considerable importance in the prevention and early detection of malignant tumours. The most common hereditary cancer syndromes are: hereditary breastovarian cancer syndrome, familial adenomatous polyposis and Lynch syndrome. Genetic diagnosis allows clinicians to estimate the risks of developing different cancers in order to make decisions over surveillance and prophylactic surgery to reduce these risks. The ultimate goal is to reduce cancer mortality through early diagnosis and prevention.KEYWORDS: BRCA1; BRCA2; breast cancer; colorectal cancer; endometrial cancer; genetic counsel; hereditary cancer; Lynch syndrome; ovarian cancer; repair genes.
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