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Gardner Syndrome
Gardner Syndrome is a disease that runs in families. It is also part of an inherited disorder known as familial polyposis. Gardner Syndrome can cause a person to have many, many extra growths - called polyps - in the colon, or large bowel. He or she may also have growths in other places.
When a person without this disease has polyps, they might turn into colon cancer. But with this inherited problem, the chance that the polyps will turn into cancer is 100% in all cases of Gardner Syndrome. The polyps become cancer in most cases of familial polyposis.
People who have this condition need to have their
colon surgically removed as soon as they are old enough to prevent cancer. This surgery is usually performed when the person is in the twenties. Cancer has usually spread before it is diagnosed if a person with Gardner Syndrome does not know about his or her family history or has not been getting screened.
When to get Screened
While colon cancer survivability in general has greatly improved with treatment. People with any kind of familial polyposis can have many cancers. If your parents or other family members have a history of multiple polyps or other type of familial polyposis, you should be screened with colonoscopy as early as 10 to 12 years of age.
The colon needs to be removed before cancer starts. There are good surgical techniques today to do this. Often, the patient can still have a functioning rectum and control over bowel movements. There are also medicines that help prevent more polyps from growing in case a small amount of tissue is left behind during surgery. You must make sure your children and other relatives know and are getting evaluated if you have this genetic problem.
People with Gardner Syndrome can also have other tumors, sometimes in the bone or various places on the skin. Some of these can become cancerous.
Who's at risk?
Since all of these syndromes are hereditary, genetic testing for colon cancer will determine if a person has the gene for familial polyposis. If a person with the gene, the polyps and the other tumors is diagnosed with Gardner Syndrome, it is very important that everyone in their family be tested.
The entire family needs colonoscopies, genetic testing for colon cancer, and evaluations of any other lump or tumor. In these cases, patients are wise to see specialists who have a lot of experience treating familial polyposis. Patients with Gardner Syndrome may have other cancers. So they need other screening tests. None of these conditions should be missed or not treated.
Protect Yourself From the High Cost of Cancer
According to the recent studies, American men have a 44% chance of developing cancer while the chances for women are about 37%. The general risk of developing colon cancer in the United States is about 6%. For this reason, it's important for everyone, particularly people above the age of 50 years, to go for routine screening.
Whether discovered early or late, cancer is a debilitating disease due to the care, costs and the mental and physical trauma involved. Many times the cost of treatment leaves the patient in heavy financial distress.
Most insurance plans do not cover the total cost of the treatment, which leaves the patient and their family in a lurch. These days people have started purchasing supplemental cancer insurance that can help in covering otherwise uninsured expenses related to cancer illness. If you would like to learn more about supplemental cancer insurance you can click here.
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