Hereditary cancer syndromes cause 10% of all cancers, but are likely underdiagnosed. Recent studies suggest all cancer patients should undergo genetic counseling and risk assessment. Over 60 cancer syndromes, linked to more than 100 genes, can affect various organs including breast, uterine, prostate, kidney, thyroid, brain, colon, stomach and others.
Several well-known inheritable cancer syndromes increase cancer risk, as shown in the table below.